Recording and broadcasting application visual output

ABSTRACT

The present disclosure generally relates to sharing application visual output. In some examples, a user of a first electronic device selects a second electronic device with which to share visual out data of an application task. In some examples, a user selects a broadcast application from one or more broadcast applications identified by the electronic device for broadcasting the visual output of an application task.

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/614,121, entitled “RECORDING AND BROADCASTING APPLICATION VISUALOUTPUT,” filed Jun. 5, 2017, which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application No. 62/349,041, entitled “RECORDING AND BROADCASTINGAPPLICATION VISUAL OUTPUT,” filed Jun. 12, 2016, the contents of each ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to computer user interfaces,and more specifically to techniques for sharing application visualoutput.

BACKGROUND

Broadcasting and replying of video games and other live output ofapplications is a growing form of entertainment. Numerous websitessupport ecosystems for video game players to post previously recordedoutputs of video games or to broadcast the output of a video game live.The popularity of these websites have only increased with the rise ofe-sports leagues that hold competitions and tournaments for variousapplications.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Some techniques for sharing application visual output using electronicdevices, however, are generally cumbersome and inefficient. For example,some existing techniques use a complex and time-consuming userinterface, which may include multiple key presses or keystrokes.Existing techniques require more time than necessary, wasting user timeand device energy. This latter consideration is particularly importantin battery-operated devices.

Accordingly, the present technique provides electronic devices withfaster, more efficient methods and interfaces for sharing applicationvisual output. Such methods and interfaces optionally complement orreplace other methods for sharing application visual output. Suchmethods and interfaces reduce the cognitive burden on a user and producea more efficient human-machine interface.

In accordance with an embodiment, at a first electronic device with oneor more processors, a communication interface, and memory, and that isin communication with a display, a first input is received correspondingto an affordance to start a task in an application executing on the oneor more processors. In response to receiving the first input, the taskis started. While the task is ongoing, visual output of the applicationis recorded as application task data. After the task has ceased, anaffordance for sharing the application task data with a secondelectronic device that is associated with the first electronic device iscaused to be displayed. While the affordance for sharing is displayed onthe display, a second input is received that corresponds to selection ofthe affordance for sharing the application task data. In response toreceiving the second input, the application task data is transmitted tothe second electronic device over the communication interface.

In accordance with an embodiment, at a first electronic device with oneor more processors, a communication interface, and memory, and that isin communication with a display, causing to display on the display afirst affordance in an application. The first affordance is forbroadcasting visual output of a task of the application. In response toreceiving a first user input corresponding to selection of the firstaffordance and in accordance with a determination that multiplebroadcast applications on the electronic device are capable ofbroadcasting visual output of the application while the task is ongoing:(1) a second affordance is caused to be displayed on the display, thesecond affordance is for selecting a broadcast application of theplurality of broadcast applications capable of broadcasting the visualoutput of the application and (2) while the second affordance isdisplayed on the display, second user input is received corresponding toselection of the second affordance. After receiving the second userinput, the task is started and the visual output of the application issent to the broadcast application for transmitting the visual outputover the communication interface to a remote server.

An embodiment of a transitory computer readable storage medium storesone or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions,which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic devicewith a display and one or more input devices, cause the device to: causeto display on the display a first affordance in an application, whereinthe first affordance is for broadcasting visual output of a task of theapplication; in response to receiving a first user input correspondingto selection of the first affordance: in accordance with a determinationthat multiple broadcast applications on the electronic device arecapable of broadcasting visual output of the application while the taskis ongoing: cause to display on the display a second affordance forselecting a broadcast application of the plurality of broadcastapplications capable of broadcasting the visual output of theapplication; and while the second affordance is displayed on thedisplay, receive second user input corresponding to selection of thesecond affordance; after receiving the second user input, start the taskand sending the visual output of the application to the broadcastapplication for transmitting the visual output over the communicationinterface to a remote server.

An embodiment of a transitory computer readable storage medium storesone or more programs, the one or more programs comprising instructions,which when executed by one or more processors of an electronic devicewith a display and one or more input devices, cause the device to:receive a first input corresponding to an affordance to start a task inan application executing on the one or more processors; in response toreceiving the first input, start the task; while the task is ongoing,record visual output of the application as application task data; afterthe task has ceased, causing to be displayed on the display anaffordance for sharing the application task data with a secondelectronic device that is associated with the first electronic device;and while the affordance for sharing is displayed on the display,receive a second input that corresponds to selection of the affordancefor sharing the application task data; and in response to receiving thesecond input, transmit the application task data to the secondelectronic device over the communication interface.

Executable instructions for performing these functions are, optionally,included in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium or othercomputer program product configured for execution by one or moreprocessors. Executable instructions for performing these functions are,optionally, included in a transitory computer-readable storage medium orother computer program product configured for execution by one or moreprocessors.

Thus, devices are provided with faster, more efficient methods andinterfaces for sharing application visual output, thereby increasing theeffectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction with such devices. Suchmethods and interfaces may complement or replace other methods forsharing application visual output.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

For a better understanding of the various described embodiments,reference should be made to the Description of Embodiments below, inconjunction with the following drawings in which like reference numeralsrefer to corresponding parts throughout the figures.

FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustrating a portable multifunction devicewith a touch-sensitive display in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components for eventhandling in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portable multifunction device having a touch screenin accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary multifunction device with adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary user interface for a menu ofapplications on a portable multifunction device in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary user interface for a multifunctiondevice with a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the displayin accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 4C illustrates exemplary electronic devices that are incommunication with a display and touch-sensitive surface where, for atleast a subset of the electronic devices the display and/ortouch-sensitive surface is integrated into the electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 5A illustrates a personal electronic device in accordance with someembodiments.

FIG. 5B is a block diagram illustrating a personal electronic device inaccordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 6A illustrates exemplary devices connected via one or morecommunication channels to share application visual output in accordancewith some embodiments.

FIGS. 6B-6K illustrate exemplary user interfaces for sharing applicationvisual output, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for sharing applicationvisual output, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram, in accordance with someembodiments.

FIGS. 9A-9F illustrate exemplary user interfaces for broadcastingapplication visual output, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 10A-OB is a flow diagram illustrating a method for broadcastingapplication visual output, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram, in accordance with someembodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following description sets forth exemplary methods, parameters, andthe like. It should be recognized, however, that such description is notintended as a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure but isinstead provided as a description of exemplary embodiments.

There is a need for electronic devices that provide efficient methodsand interfaces for sharing application output. For example, video gamebroadcasts and replays are an increasingly popular form ofentertainment. Such techniques can reduce the cognitive burden on a userwho shares application visual output, thereby enhancing productivity.Further, such techniques can reduce processor and battery powerotherwise wasted on redundant user inputs.

Below, FIGS. 1A-1B, 2, 3, 4A-4C, and 5A-5B provide a description ofexemplary devices for performing the techniques for managing eventnotifications. FIGS. 6B-6K illustrate exemplary user interfaces forsharing application visual output. FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustratingmethods of sharing application visual output in accordance with someembodiments. The user interfaces in FIGS. 6B-6K are used to illustratethe processes described below, including the processes in FIG. 7.

FIGS. 9A-9F illustrate exemplary user interfaces for sharing applicationvisual output. FIGS. 10A-10B is a flow diagram illustrating methods ofsharing application visual output in accordance with some embodiments.The user interfaces in FIGS. 9A-9F are used to illustrate the processesdescribed below, including the processes in FIGS. 10A-10B.

Although the following description uses terms “first,” “second,” etc. todescribe various elements, these elements should not be limited by theterms. These terms are only used to distinguish one element fromanother. For example, a first touch could be termed a second touch, and,similarly, a second touch could be termed a first touch, withoutdeparting from the scope of the various described embodiments. The firsttouch and the second touch are both touches, but they are not the sametouch.

The terminology used in the description of the various describedembodiments herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in thedescription of the various described embodiments and the appendedclaims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to includethe plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will also be understood that the term “and/or” as usedherein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations ofone or more of the associated listed items. It will be furtherunderstood that the terms “includes,” “including,” “comprises,” and/or“comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence ofstated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/orcomponents, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or moreother features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components,and/or groups thereof.

The term “if” is, optionally, construed to mean “when” or “upon” or “inresponse to determining” or “in response to detecting,” depending on thecontext. Similarly, the phrase “if it is determined” or “if [a statedcondition or event] is detected” is, optionally, construed to mean “upondetermining” or “in response to determining” or “upon detecting [thestated condition or event]” or “in response to detecting [the statedcondition or event],” depending on the context.

Embodiments of electronic devices, user interfaces for such devices, andassociated processes for using such devices are described. In someembodiments, the device is a portable communications device, such as amobile telephone, that also contains other functions, such as PDA and/ormusic player functions. Exemplary embodiments of portable multifunctiondevices include, without limitation, the iPhone®, iPod Touch®, and iPad®devices from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Other portable electronicdevices, such as laptops or tablet computers with touch-sensitivesurfaces (e.g., touch screen displays and/or touchpads), are,optionally, used. It should also be understood that, in someembodiments, the device is not a portable communications device, but isa desktop computer with a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touch screendisplay and/or a touchpad).

In the discussion that follows, an electronic device that includes adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface is described. It should beunderstood, however, that the electronic device optionally includes oneor more other physical user-interface devices, such as a physicalkeyboard, a mouse, and/or a joystick.

The device typically supports a variety of applications, such as one ormore of the following: a drawing application, a presentationapplication, a word processing application, a website creationapplication, a disk authoring application, a spreadsheet application, agaming application, a telephone application, a video conferencingapplication, an e-mail application, an instant messaging application, aworkout support application, a photo management application, a digitalcamera application, a digital video camera application, a web browsingapplication, a digital music player application, and/or a digital videoplayer application.

The various applications that are executed on the device optionally useat least one common physical user-interface device, such as thetouch-sensitive surface. One or more functions of the touch-sensitivesurface as well as corresponding information displayed on the deviceare, optionally, adjusted and/or varied from one application to the nextand/or within a respective application. In this way, a common physicalarchitecture (such as the touch-sensitive surface) of the deviceoptionally supports the variety of applications with user interfacesthat are intuitive and transparent to the user.

Attention is now directed toward embodiments of portable devices withtouch-sensitive displays. FIG. 1A is a block diagram illustratingportable multifunction device 100 with touch-sensitive display system112 in accordance with some embodiments. Touch-sensitive display 112 issometimes called a “touch screen” for convenience and is sometimes knownas or called a “touch-sensitive display system.” Device 100 includesmemory 102 (which optionally includes one or more computer-readablestorage mediums), memory controller 122, one or more processing units(CPUs) 120, peripherals interface 118, RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry110, speaker 111, microphone 113, input/output (I/O) subsystem 106,other input control devices 116, and external port 124. Device 100optionally includes one or more optical sensors 164. Device 100optionally includes one or more contact intensity sensors 165 fordetecting intensity of contacts on device 100 (e.g., a touch-sensitivesurface such as touch-sensitive display system 112 of device 100).Device 100 optionally includes one or more tactile output generators 167for generating tactile outputs on device 100 (e.g., generating tactileoutputs on a touch-sensitive surface such as touch-sensitive displaysystem 112 of device 100 or touchpad 355 of device 300). Thesecomponents optionally communicate over one or more communication busesor signal lines 103.

As used in the specification and claims, the term “intensity” of acontact on a touch-sensitive surface refers to the force or pressure(force per unit area) of a contact (e.g., a finger contact) on thetouch-sensitive surface, or to a substitute (proxy) for the force orpressure of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface. The intensity of acontact has a range of values that includes at least four distinctvalues and more typically includes hundreds of distinct values (e.g., atleast 256). Intensity of a contact is, optionally, determined (ormeasured) using various approaches and various sensors or combinationsof sensors. For example, one or more force sensors underneath oradjacent to the touch-sensitive surface are, optionally, used to measureforce at various points on the touch-sensitive surface. In someimplementations, force measurements from multiple force sensors arecombined (e.g., a weighted average) to determine an estimated force of acontact. Similarly, a pressure-sensitive tip of a stylus is, optionally,used to determine a pressure of the stylus on the touch-sensitivesurface. Alternatively, the size of the contact area detected on thetouch-sensitive surface and/or changes thereto, the capacitance of thetouch-sensitive surface proximate to the contact and/or changes thereto,and/or the resistance of the touch-sensitive surface proximate to thecontact and/or changes thereto are, optionally, used as a substitute forthe force or pressure of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface. Insome implementations, the substitute measurements for contact force orpressure are used directly to determine whether an intensity thresholdhas been exceeded (e.g., the intensity threshold is described in unitscorresponding to the substitute measurements). In some implementations,the substitute measurements for contact force or pressure are convertedto an estimated force or pressure, and the estimated force or pressureis used to determine whether an intensity threshold has been exceeded(e.g., the intensity threshold is a pressure threshold measured in unitsof pressure). Using the intensity of a contact as an attribute of a userinput allows for user access to additional device functionality that mayotherwise not be accessible by the user on a reduced-size device withlimited real estate for displaying affordances (e.g., on atouch-sensitive display) and/or receiving user input (e.g., via atouch-sensitive display, a touch-sensitive surface, or aphysical/mechanical control such as a knob or a button).

As used in the specification and claims, the term “tactile output”refers to physical displacement of a device relative to a previousposition of the device, physical displacement of a component (e.g., atouch-sensitive surface) of a device relative to another component(e.g., housing) of the device, or displacement of the component relativeto a center of mass of the device that will be detected by a user withthe user's sense of touch. For example, in situations where the deviceor the component of the device is in contact with a surface of a userthat is sensitive to touch (e.g., a finger, palm, or other part of auser's hand), the tactile output generated by the physical displacementwill be interpreted by the user as a tactile sensation corresponding toa perceived change in physical characteristics of the device or thecomponent of the device. For example, movement of a touch-sensitivesurface (e.g., a touch-sensitive display or trackpad) is, optionally,interpreted by the user as a “down click” or “up click” of a physicalactuator button. In some cases, a user will feel a tactile sensationsuch as an “down click” or “up click” even when there is no movement ofa physical actuator button associated with the touch-sensitive surfacethat is physically pressed (e.g., displaced) by the user's movements. Asanother example, movement of the touch-sensitive surface is, optionally,interpreted or sensed by the user as “roughness” of the touch-sensitivesurface, even when there is no change in smoothness of thetouch-sensitive surface. While such interpretations of touch by a userwill be subject to the individualized sensory perceptions of the user,there are many sensory perceptions of touch that are common to a largemajority of users. Thus, when a tactile output is described ascorresponding to a particular sensory perception of a user (e.g., an “upclick,” a “down click,” “roughness”), unless otherwise stated, thegenerated tactile output corresponds to physical displacement of thedevice or a component thereof that will generate the described sensoryperception for a typical (or average) user.

It should be appreciated that device 100 is only one example of aportable multifunction device, and that device 100 optionally has moreor fewer components than shown, optionally combines two or morecomponents, or optionally has a different configuration or arrangementof the components. The various components shown in FIG. 1A areimplemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both hardware andsoftware, including one or more signal processing and/orapplication-specific integrated circuits.

Memory 102 optionally includes high-speed random access memory andoptionally also includes non-volatile memory, such as one or moremagnetic disk storage devices, flash memory devices, or othernon-volatile solid-state memory devices. Memory controller 122optionally controls access to memory 102 by other components of device100.

Peripherals interface 118 can be used to couple input and outputperipherals of the device to CPU 120 and memory 102. The one or moreprocessors 120 run or execute various software programs and/or sets ofinstructions stored in memory 102 to perform various functions fordevice 100 and to process data. In some embodiments, peripheralsinterface 118, CPU 120, and memory controller 122 are, optionally,implemented on a single chip, such as chip 104. In some otherembodiments, they are, optionally, implemented on separate chips.

RF (radio frequency) circuitry 108 receives and sends RF signals, alsocalled electromagnetic signals. RF circuitry 108 converts electricalsignals to/from electromagnetic signals and communicates withcommunications networks and other communications devices via theelectromagnetic signals. RF circuitry 108 optionally includes well-knowncircuitry for performing these functions, including but not limited toan antenna system, an RF transceiver, one or more amplifiers, a tuner,one or more oscillators, a digital signal processor, a CODEC chipset, asubscriber identity module (SIM) card, memory, and so forth. RFcircuitry 108 optionally communicates with networks, such as theInternet, also referred to as the World Wide Web (WWW), an intranetand/or a wireless network, such as a cellular telephone network, awireless local area network (LAN) and/or a metropolitan area network(MAN), and other devices by wireless communication. The RF circuitry 108optionally includes well-known circuitry for detecting near fieldcommunication (NFC) fields, such as by a short-range communicationradio. The wireless communication optionally uses any of a plurality ofcommunications standards, protocols, and technologies, including but notlimited to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Enhanced DataGSM Environment (EDGE), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA),high-speed uplink packet access (HSUPA), Evolution, Data-Only (EV-DO),HSPA, HSPA+, Dual-Cell HSPA (DC-HSPDA), long term evolution (LTE), nearfield communication (NFC), wideband code division multiple access(W-CDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), time division multipleaccess (TDMA), Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BTLE), Wireless Fidelity(Wi-Fi) (e.g., IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n,and/or IEEE 802.11ac), voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Wi-MAX, aprotocol for e-mail (e.g., Internet message access protocol (IMAP)and/or post office protocol (POP)), instant messaging (e.g., extensiblemessaging and presence protocol (XMPP), Session Initiation Protocol forInstant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions (SIMPLE), InstantMessaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), and/or Short Message Service(SMS), or any other suitable communication protocol, includingcommunication protocols not yet developed as of the filing date of thisdocument.

Audio circuitry 110, speaker 111, and microphone 113 provide an audiointerface between a user and device 100. Audio circuitry 110 receivesaudio data from peripherals interface 118, converts the audio data to anelectrical signal, and transmits the electrical signal to speaker 111.Speaker 111 converts the electrical signal to human-audible sound waves.Audio circuitry 110 also receives electrical signals converted bymicrophone 113 from sound waves. Audio circuitry 110 converts theelectrical signal to audio data and transmits the audio data toperipherals interface 118 for processing. Audio data is, optionally,retrieved from and/or transmitted to memory 102 and/or RF circuitry 108by peripherals interface 118. In some embodiments, audio circuitry 110also includes a headset jack (e.g., 212, FIG. 2). The headset jackprovides an interface between audio circuitry 110 and removable audioinput/output peripherals, such as output-only headphones or a headsetwith both output (e.g., a headphone for one or both ears) and input(e.g., a microphone).

I/O subsystem 106 couples input/output peripherals on device 100, suchas touch screen 112 and other input control devices 116, to peripheralsinterface 118. I/O subsystem 106 optionally includes display controller156, optical sensor controller 158, intensity sensor controller 159,haptic feedback controller 161, and one or more input controllers 160for other input or control devices. The one or more input controllers160 receive/send electrical signals from/to other input control devices116. The other input control devices 116 optionally include physicalbuttons (e.g., push buttons, rocker buttons, etc.), dials, sliderswitches, joysticks, click wheels, and so forth. In some alternateembodiments, input controller(s) 160 are, optionally, coupled to any (ornone) of the following: a keyboard, an infrared port, a USB port, and apointer device such as a mouse. The one or more buttons (e.g., 208, FIG.2) optionally include an up/down button for volume control of speaker111 and/or microphone 113. The one or more buttons optionally include apush button (e.g., 206, FIG. 2).

A quick press of the push button optionally disengages a lock of touchscreen 112 or optionally begins a process that uses gestures on thetouch screen to unlock the device, as described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/322,549, “Unlocking a Device by PerformingGestures on an Unlock Image,” filed Dec. 23, 2005, U.S. Pat. No.7,657,849, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Alonger press of the push button (e.g., 206) optionally turns power todevice 100 on or off. The functionality of one or more of the buttonsare, optionally, user-customizable. Touch screen 112 is used toimplement virtual or soft buttons and one or more soft keyboards.

Touch-sensitive display 112 provides an input interface and an outputinterface between the device and a user. Display controller 156 receivesand/or sends electrical signals from/to touch screen 112. Touch screen112 displays visual output to the user. The visual output optionallyincludes graphics, text, icons, video, and any combination thereof(collectively termed “graphics”). In some embodiments, some or all ofthe visual output optionally corresponds to user-interface objects.

Touch screen 112 has a touch-sensitive surface, sensor, or set ofsensors that accepts input from the user based on haptic and/or tactilecontact. Touch screen 112 and display controller 156 (along with anyassociated modules and/or sets of instructions in memory 102) detectcontact (and any movement or breaking of the contact) on touch screen112 and convert the detected contact into interaction withuser-interface objects (e.g., one or more soft keys, icons, web pages,or images) that are displayed on touch screen 112. In an exemplaryembodiment, a point of contact between touch screen 112 and the usercorresponds to a finger of the user.

Touch screen 112 optionally uses LCD (liquid crystal display)technology, LPD (light emitting polymer display) technology, or LED(light emitting diode) technology, although other display technologiesare used in other embodiments. Touch screen 112 and display controller156 optionally detect contact and any movement or breaking thereof usingany of a plurality of touch sensing technologies now known or laterdeveloped, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared,and surface acoustic wave technologies, as well as other proximitysensor arrays or other elements for determining one or more points ofcontact with touch screen 112. In an exemplary embodiment, projectedmutual capacitance sensing technology is used, such as that found in theiPhone® and iPod Touch® from Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif.

A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of touch screen 112 is,optionally, analogous to the multi-touch sensitive touchpads describedin the following U.S. Pat. No. 6,323,846 (Westerman et al.), U.S. Pat.No. 6,570,557 (Westerman et al.), and/or U.S. Pat. No. 6,677,932(Westerman), and/or U.S. Patent Publication 2002/0015024A1, each ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. However,touch screen 112 displays visual output from device 100, whereastouch-sensitive touchpads do not provide visual output.

A touch-sensitive display in some embodiments of touch screen 112 isdescribed in the following applications: (1) U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/381,313, “Multipoint Touch Surface Controller,” filed May 2,2006; (2) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/840,862, “MultipointTouchscreen,” filed May 6, 2004; (3) U.S. patent application Ser. No.10/903,964, “Gestures For Touch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jul. 30,2004; (4) U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/048,264, “Gestures ForTouch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jan. 31, 2005; (5) U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/038,590, “Mode-Based Graphical User InterfacesFor Touch Sensitive Input Devices,” filed Jan. 18, 2005; (6) U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/228,758, “Virtual Input Device Placement On ATouch Screen User Interface,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; (7) U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/228,700, “Operation Of A Computer With A TouchScreen Interface,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; (8) U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/228,737, “Activating Virtual Keys Of A Touch-Screen VirtualKeyboard,” filed Sep. 16, 2005; and (9) U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/367,749, “Multi-Functional Hand-Held Device,” filed Mar. 3, 2006. Allof these applications are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

Touch screen 112 optionally has a video resolution in excess of 100 dpi.In some embodiments, the touch screen has a video resolution ofapproximately 160 dpi. The user optionally makes contact with touchscreen 112 using any suitable object or appendage, such as a stylus, afinger, and so forth. In some embodiments, the user interface isdesigned to work primarily with finger-based contacts and gestures,which can be less precise than stylus-based input due to the larger areaof contact of a finger on the touch screen. In some embodiments, thedevice translates the rough finger-based input into a precisepointer/cursor position or command for performing the actions desired bythe user.

In some embodiments, in addition to the touch screen, device 100optionally includes a touchpad (not shown) for activating ordeactivating particular functions. In some embodiments, the touchpad isa touch-sensitive area of the device that, unlike the touch screen, doesnot display visual output. The touchpad is, optionally, atouch-sensitive surface that is separate from touch screen 112 or anextension of the touch-sensitive surface formed by the touch screen.

Device 100 also includes power system 162 for powering the variouscomponents. Power system 162 optionally includes a power managementsystem, one or more power sources (e.g., battery, alternating current(AC)), a recharging system, a power failure detection circuit, a powerconverter or inverter, a power status indicator (e.g., a light-emittingdiode (LED)) and any other components associated with the generation,management and distribution of power in portable devices.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more optical sensors 164.FIG. 1A shows an optical sensor coupled to optical sensor controller 158in I/O subsystem 106. Optical sensor 164 optionally includescharge-coupled device (CCD) or complementary metal-oxide semiconductor(CMOS) phototransistors. Optical sensor 164 receives light from theenvironment, projected through one or more lenses, and converts thelight to data representing an image. In conjunction with imaging module143 (also called a camera module), optical sensor 164 optionallycaptures still images or video. In some embodiments, an optical sensoris located on the back of device 100, opposite touch screen display 112on the front of the device so that the touch screen display is enabledfor use as a viewfinder for still and/or video image acquisition. Insome embodiments, an optical sensor is located on the front of thedevice so that the user's image is, optionally, obtained for videoconferencing while the user views the other video conferenceparticipants on the touch screen display. In some embodiments, theposition of optical sensor 164 can be changed by the user (e.g., byrotating the lens and the sensor in the device housing) so that a singleoptical sensor 164 is used along with the touch screen display for bothvideo conferencing and still and/or video image acquisition.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more contact intensitysensors 165. FIG. 1A shows a contact intensity sensor coupled tointensity sensor controller 159 in I/O subsystem 106. Contact intensitysensor 165 optionally includes one or more piezoresistive strain gauges,capacitive force sensors, electric force sensors, piezoelectric forcesensors, optical force sensors, capacitive touch-sensitive surfaces, orother intensity sensors (e.g., sensors used to measure the force (orpressure) of a contact on a touch-sensitive surface). Contact intensitysensor 165 receives contact intensity information (e.g., pressureinformation or a proxy for pressure information) from the environment.In some embodiments, at least one contact intensity sensor is collocatedwith, or proximate to, a touch-sensitive surface (e.g., touch-sensitivedisplay system 112). In some embodiments, at least one contact intensitysensor is located on the back of device 100, opposite touch screendisplay 112, which is located on the front of device 100.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more proximity sensors 166.FIG. 1A shows proximity sensor 166 coupled to peripherals interface 118.Alternately, proximity sensor 166 is, optionally, coupled to inputcontroller 160 in I/O subsystem 106. Proximity sensor 166 optionallyperforms as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/241,839,“Proximity Detector In Handheld Device”; Ser. No. 11/240,788, “ProximityDetector In Handheld Device”; Ser. No. 11/620,702, “Using Ambient LightSensor To Augment Proximity Sensor Output”; Ser. No. 11/586,862,“Automated Response To And Sensing Of User Activity In PortableDevices”; and Ser. No. 11/638,251, “Methods And Systems For AutomaticConfiguration Of Peripherals,” which are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety. In some embodiments, the proximity sensorturns off and disables touch screen 112 when the multifunction device isplaced near the user's ear (e.g., when the user is making a phone call).

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more tactile outputgenerators 167. FIG. 1A shows a tactile output generator coupled tohaptic feedback controller 161 in I/O subsystem 106. Tactile outputgenerator 167 optionally includes one or more electroacoustic devicessuch as speakers or other audio components and/or electromechanicaldevices that convert energy into linear motion such as a motor,solenoid, electroactive polymer, piezoelectric actuator, electrostaticactuator, or other tactile output generating component (e.g., acomponent that converts electrical signals into tactile outputs on thedevice). Contact intensity sensor 165 receives tactile feedbackgeneration instructions from haptic feedback module 133 and generatestactile outputs on device 100 that are capable of being sensed by a userof device 100. In some embodiments, at least one tactile outputgenerator is collocated with, or proximate to, a touch-sensitive surface(e.g., touch-sensitive display system 112) and, optionally, generates atactile output by moving the touch-sensitive surface vertically (e.g.,in/out of a surface of device 100) or laterally (e.g., back and forth inthe same plane as a surface of device 100). In some embodiments, atleast one tactile output generator sensor is located on the back ofdevice 100, opposite touch screen display 112, which is located on thefront of device 100.

Device 100 optionally also includes one or more accelerometers 168. FIG.1A shows accelerometer 168 coupled to peripherals interface 118.Alternately, accelerometer 168 is, optionally, coupled to an inputcontroller 160 in I/O subsystem 106. Accelerometer 168 optionallyperforms as described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 20050190059,“Acceleration-based Theft Detection System for Portable ElectronicDevices,” and U.S. Patent Publication No. 200600B17692, “Methods AndApparatuses For Operating A Portable Device Based On An Accelerometer,”both of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. Insome embodiments, information is displayed on the touch screen displayin a portrait view or a landscape view based on an analysis of datareceived from the one or more accelerometers. Device 100 optionallyincludes, in addition to accelerometer(s) 168, a magnetometer (notshown) and a GPS (or GLONASS or other global navigation system) receiver(not shown) for obtaining information concerning the location andorientation (e.g., portrait or landscape) of device 100.

In some embodiments, the software components stored in memory 102include operating system 126, communication module (or set ofinstructions) 128, contact/motion module (or set of instructions) 130,graphics module (or set of instructions) 132, text input module (or setof instructions) 134, Global Positioning System (GPS) module (or set ofinstructions) 135, and applications (or sets of instructions) 136.Furthermore, in some embodiments, memory 102 (FIG. 1A) or 370 (FIG. 3)stores device/global internal state 157, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 3.Device/global internal state 157 includes one or more of: activeapplication state, indicating which applications, if any, are currentlyactive; display state, indicating what applications, views or otherinformation occupy various regions of touch screen display 112; sensorstate, including information obtained from the device's various sensorsand input control devices 116; and location information concerning thedevice's location and/or attitude.

Operating system 126 (e.g., Darwin, RTXC, LINUX, UNIX, OS X, iOS,WINDOWS, or an embedded operating system such as VxWorks) includesvarious software components and/or drivers for controlling and managinggeneral system tasks (e.g., memory management, storage device control,power management, etc.) and facilitates communication between varioushardware and software components.

Communication module 128 facilitates communication with other devicesover one or more external ports 124 and also includes various softwarecomponents for handling data received by RF circuitry 108 and/orexternal port 124. External port 124 (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB),FIREWIRE, etc.) is adapted for coupling directly to other devices orindirectly over a network (e.g., the Internet, wireless LAN, etc.). Insome embodiments, the external port is a multi-pin (e.g., 30-pin)connector that is the same as, or similar to and/or compatible with, the30-pin connector used on iPod® (trademark of Apple Inc.) devices.

Contact/motion module 130 optionally detects contact with touch screen112 (in conjunction with display controller 156) and othertouch-sensitive devices (e.g., a touchpad or physical click wheel).Contact/motion module 130 includes various software components forperforming various operations related to detection of contact, such asdetermining if contact has occurred (e.g., detecting a finger-downevent), determining an intensity of the contact (e.g., the force orpressure of the contact or a substitute for the force or pressure of thecontact), determining if there is movement of the contact and trackingthe movement across the touch-sensitive surface (e.g., detecting one ormore finger-dragging events), and determining if the contact has ceased(e.g., detecting a finger-up event or a break in contact).Contact/motion module 130 receives contact data from the touch-sensitivesurface. Determining movement of the point of contact, which isrepresented by a series of contact data, optionally includes determiningspeed (magnitude), velocity (magnitude and direction), and/or anacceleration (a change in magnitude and/or direction) of the point ofcontact. These operations are, optionally, applied to single contacts(e.g., one finger contacts) or to multiple simultaneous contacts (e.g.,“multitouch”/multiple finger contacts). In some embodiments,contact/motion module 130 and display controller 156 detect contact on atouchpad.

In some embodiments, contact/motion module 130 uses a set of one or moreintensity thresholds to determine whether an operation has beenperformed by a user (e.g., to determine whether a user has “clicked” onan icon). In some embodiments, at least a subset of the intensitythresholds are determined in accordance with software parameters (e.g.,the intensity thresholds are not determined by the activation thresholdsof particular physical actuators and can be adjusted without changingthe physical hardware of device 100). For example, a mouse “click”threshold of a trackpad or touch screen display can be set to any of alarge range of predefined threshold values without changing the trackpador touch screen display hardware. Additionally, in some implementations,a user of the device is provided with software settings for adjustingone or more of the set of intensity thresholds (e.g., by adjustingindividual intensity thresholds and/or by adjusting a plurality ofintensity thresholds at once with a system-level click “intensity”parameter).

Contact/motion module 130 optionally detects a gesture input by a user.Different gestures on the touch-sensitive surface have different contactpatterns (e.g., different motions, timings, and/or intensities ofdetected contacts). Thus, a gesture is, optionally, detected bydetecting a particular contact pattern. For example, detecting a fingertap gesture includes detecting a finger-down event followed by detectinga finger-up (liftoff) event at the same position (or substantially thesame position) as the finger-down event (e.g., at the position of anicon). As another example, detecting a finger swipe gesture on thetouch-sensitive surface includes detecting a finger-down event followedby detecting one or more finger-dragging events, and subsequentlyfollowed by detecting a finger-up (liftoff) event.

Graphics module 132 includes various known software components forrendering and displaying graphics on touch screen 112 or other display,including components for changing the visual impact (e.g., brightness,transparency, saturation, contrast, or other visual property) ofgraphics that are displayed. As used herein, the term “graphics”includes any object that can be displayed to a user, including, withoutlimitation, text, web pages, icons (such as user-interface objectsincluding soft keys), digital images, videos, animations, and the like.

In some embodiments, graphics module 132 stores data representinggraphics to be used. Each graphic is, optionally, assigned acorresponding code. Graphics module 132 receives, from applicationsetc., one or more codes specifying graphics to be displayed along with,if necessary, coordinate data and other graphic property data, and thengenerates screen image data to output to display controller 156.

Haptic feedback module 133 includes various software components forgenerating instructions used by tactile output generator(s) 167 toproduce tactile outputs at one or more locations on device 100 inresponse to user interactions with device 100.

Text input module 134, which is, optionally, a component of graphicsmodule 132, provides soft keyboards for entering text in variousapplications (e.g., contacts 137, e-mail 140, IM 141, browser 147, andany other application that needs text input).

GPS module 135 determines the location of the device and provides thisinformation for use in various applications (e.g., to telephone 138 foruse in location-based dialing; to camera 143 as picture/video metadata;and to applications that provide location-based services such as weatherwidgets, local yellow page widgets, and map/navigation widgets).

Applications 136 optionally include the following modules (or sets ofinstructions), or a subset or superset thereof:

-   -   Contacts module 137 (sometimes called an address book or contact        list);    -   Telephone module 138;    -   Video conference module 139;    -   E-mail client module 140;    -   Instant messaging (IM) module 141;    -   Workout support module 142;    -   Camera module 143 for still and/or video images;    -   Image management module 144;    -   Video player module;    -   Music player module;    -   Browser module 147;    -   Calendar module 148;    -   Widget modules 149, which optionally include one or more of:        weather widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2, calculator widget        149-3, alarm clock widget 149-4, dictionary widget 149-5, and        other widgets obtained by the user, as well as user-created        widgets 149-6;    -   Widget creator module 150 for making user-created widgets 149-6;    -   Search module 151;    -   Video and music player module 152, which merges video player        module and music player module;    -   Notes module 153;    -   Map module 154; and/or    -   Online video module 155.

Examples of other applications 136 that are, optionally, stored inmemory 102 include other word processing applications, other imageediting applications, drawing applications, presentation applications,JAVA-enabled applications, encryption, digital rights management, voicerecognition, and voice replication.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module134, contacts module 137 are, optionally, used to manage an address bookor contact list (e.g., stored in application internal state 192 ofcontacts module 137 in memory 102 or memory 370), including: addingname(s) to the address book; deleting name(s) from the address book;associating telephone number(s), e-mail address(es), physicaladdress(es) or other information with a name; associating an image witha name; categorizing and sorting names; providing telephone numbers ore-mail addresses to initiate and/or facilitate communications bytelephone 138, video conference module 139, e-mail 140, or IM 141; andso forth.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111,microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller 156, contact/motionmodule 130, graphics module 132, and text input module 134, telephonemodule 138 are optionally, used to enter a sequence of characterscorresponding to a telephone number, access one or more telephonenumbers in contacts module 137, modify a telephone number that has beenentered, dial a respective telephone number, conduct a conversation, anddisconnect or hang up when the conversation is completed. As notedabove, the wireless communication optionally uses any of a plurality ofcommunications standards, protocols, and technologies.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, audio circuitry 110, speaker 111,microphone 113, touch screen 112, display controller 156, optical sensor164, optical sensor controller 158, contact/motion module 130, graphicsmodule 132, text input module 134, contacts module 137, and telephonemodule 138, video conference module 139 includes executable instructionsto initiate, conduct, and terminate a video conference between a userand one or more other participants in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and textinput module 134, e-mail client module 140 includes executableinstructions to create, send, receive, and manage e-mail in response touser instructions. In conjunction with image management module 144,e-mail client module 140 makes it very easy to create and send e-mailswith still or video images taken with camera module 143.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and textinput module 134, the instant messaging module 141 includes executableinstructions to enter a sequence of characters corresponding to aninstant message, to modify previously entered characters, to transmit arespective instant message (for example, using a Short Message Service(SMS) or Multimedia Message Service (MMS) protocol for telephony-basedinstant messages or using XMPP, SIMPLE, or IMPS for Internet-basedinstant messages), to receive instant messages, and to view receivedinstant messages. In some embodiments, transmitted and/or receivedinstant messages optionally include graphics, photos, audio files, videofiles and/or other attachments as are supported in an MMS and/or anEnhanced Messaging Service (EMS). As used herein, “instant messaging”refers to both telephony-based messages (e.g., messages sent using SMSor MMS) and Internet-based messages (e.g., messages sent using XMPP,SIMPLE, or IMPS).

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, GPS module 135, map module 154, and music playermodule, workout support module 142 includes executable instructions tocreate workouts (e.g., with time, distance, and/or calorie burninggoals); communicate with workout sensors (sports devices); receiveworkout sensor data; calibrate sensors used to monitor a workout; selectand play music for a workout; and display, store, and transmit workoutdata.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156, opticalsensor(s) 164, optical sensor controller 158, contact/motion module 130,graphics module 132, and image management module 144, camera module 143includes executable instructions to capture still images or video(including a video stream) and store them into memory 102, modifycharacteristics of a still image or video, or delete a still image orvideo from memory 102.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, text input module 134,and camera module 143, image management module 144 includes executableinstructions to arrange, modify (e.g., edit), or otherwise manipulate,label, delete, present (e.g., in a digital slide show or album), andstore still and/or video images.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and textinput module 134, browser module 147 includes executable instructions tobrowse the Internet in accordance with user instructions, includingsearching, linking to, receiving, and displaying web pages or portionsthereof, as well as attachments and other files linked to web pages.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, e-mail client module 140, and browser module 147,calendar module 148 includes executable instructions to create, display,modify, and store calendars and data associated with calendars (e.g.,calendar entries, to-do lists, etc.) in accordance with userinstructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, and browser module 147, widget modules 149 aremini-applications that are, optionally, downloaded and used by a user(e.g., weather widget 149-1, stocks widget 149-2, calculator widget149-3, alarm clock widget 149-4, and dictionary widget 149-5) or createdby the user (e.g., user-created widget 149-6). In some embodiments, awidget includes an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) file, a CSS(Cascading Style Sheets) file, and a JavaScript file. In someembodiments, a widget includes an XML (Extensible Markup Language) fileand a JavaScript file (e.g., Yahoo!Widgets).

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, and browser module 147, the widget creator module 150are, optionally, used by a user to create widgets (e.g., turning auser-specified portion of a web page into a widget).

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module134, search module 151 includes executable instructions to search fortext, music, sound, image, video, and/or other files in memory 102 thatmatch one or more search criteria (e.g., one or more user-specifiedsearch terms) in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110,speaker 111, RF circuitry 108, and browser module 147, video and musicplayer module 152 includes executable instructions that allow the userto download and play back recorded music and other sound files stored inone or more file formats, such as MP3 or AAC files, and executableinstructions to display, present, or otherwise play back videos (e.g.,on touch screen 112 or on an external, connected display via externalport 124). In some embodiments, device 100 optionally includes thefunctionality of an MP3 player, such as an iPod (trademark of AppleInc.).

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, and text input module134, notes module 153 includes executable instructions to create andmanage notes, to-do lists, and the like in accordance with userinstructions.

In conjunction with RF circuitry 108, touch screen 112, displaycontroller 156, contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, textinput module 134, GPS module 135, and browser module 147, map module 154are, optionally, used to receive, display, modify, and store maps anddata associated with maps (e.g., driving directions, data on stores andother points of interest at or near a particular location, and otherlocation-based data) in accordance with user instructions.

In conjunction with touch screen 112, display controller 156,contact/motion module 130, graphics module 132, audio circuitry 110,speaker 111, RF circuitry 108, text input module 134, e-mail clientmodule 140, and browser module 147, online video module 155 includesinstructions that allow the user to access, browse, receive (e.g., bystreaming and/or download), play back (e.g., on the touch screen or onan external, connected display via external port 124), send an e-mailwith a link to a particular online video, and otherwise manage onlinevideos in one or more file formats, such as H.264. In some embodiments,instant messaging module 141, rather than e-mail client module 140, isused to send a link to a particular online video. Additional descriptionof the online video application can be found in U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 60/936,562, “Portable Multifunction Device, Method, andGraphical User Interface for Playing Online Videos,” filed Jun. 20,2007, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/968,067, “PortableMultifunction Device, Method, and Graphical User Interface for PlayingOnline Videos,” filed Dec. 31, 2007, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

Each of the above-identified modules and applications corresponds to aset of executable instructions for performing one or more functionsdescribed above and the methods described in this application (e.g., thecomputer-implemented methods and other information processing methodsdescribed herein). These modules (e.g., sets of instructions) need notbe implemented as separate software programs, procedures, or modules,and thus various subsets of these modules are, optionally, combined orotherwise rearranged in various embodiments. For example, video playermodule is, optionally, combined with music player module into a singlemodule (e.g., video and music player module 152, FIG. 1A). In someembodiments, memory 102 optionally stores a subset of the modules anddata structures identified above. Furthermore, memory 102 optionallystores additional modules and data structures not described above.

In some embodiments, device 100 is a device where operation of apredefined set of functions on the device is performed exclusivelythrough a touch screen and/or a touchpad. By using a touch screen and/ora touchpad as the primary input control device for operation of device100, the number of physical input control devices (such as push buttons,dials, and the like) on device 100 is, optionally, reduced.

The predefined set of functions that are performed exclusively through atouch screen and/or a touchpad optionally include navigation betweenuser interfaces. In some embodiments, the touchpad, when touched by theuser, navigates device 100 to a main, home, or root menu from any userinterface that is displayed on device 100. In such embodiments, a “menubutton” is implemented using a touchpad. In some other embodiments, themenu button is a physical push button or other physical input controldevice instead of a touchpad.

FIG. 1B is a block diagram illustrating exemplary components for eventhandling in accordance with some embodiments. In some embodiments,memory 102 (FIG. 1A) or 370 (FIG. 3) includes event sorter 170 (e.g., inoperating system 126) and a respective application 136-1 (e.g., any ofthe aforementioned applications 137-151, 155, 380-390).

Event sorter 170 receives event information and determines theapplication 136-1 and application view 191 of application 136-1 to whichto deliver the event information. Event sorter 170 includes eventmonitor 171 and event dispatcher module 174. In some embodiments,application 136-1 includes application internal state 192, whichindicates the current application view(s) displayed on touch-sensitivedisplay 112 when the application is active or executing. In someembodiments, device/global internal state 157 is used by event sorter170 to determine which application(s) is (are) currently active, andapplication internal state 192 is used by event sorter 170 to determineapplication views 191 to which to deliver event information.

In some embodiments, application internal state 192 includes additionalinformation, such as one or more of: resume information to be used whenapplication 136-1 resumes execution, user interface state informationthat indicates information being displayed or that is ready for displayby application 136-1, a state queue for enabling the user to go back toa prior state or view of application 136-1, and a redo/undo queue ofprevious actions taken by the user.

Event monitor 171 receives event information from peripherals interface118. Event information includes information about a sub-event (e.g., auser touch on touch-sensitive display 112, as part of a multi-touchgesture). Peripherals interface 118 transmits information it receivesfrom I/O subsystem 106 or a sensor, such as proximity sensor 166,accelerometer(s) 168, and/or microphone 113 (through audio circuitry110). Information that peripherals interface 118 receives from I/Osubsystem 106 includes information from touch-sensitive display 112 or atouch-sensitive surface.

In some embodiments, event monitor 171 sends requests to the peripheralsinterface 118 at predetermined intervals. In response, peripheralsinterface 118 transmits event information. In other embodiments,peripherals interface 118 transmits event information only when there isa significant event (e.g., receiving an input above a predeterminednoise threshold and/or for more than a predetermined duration).

In some embodiments, event sorter 170 also includes a hit viewdetermination module 172 and/or an active event recognizer determinationmodule 173.

Hit view determination module 172 provides software procedures fordetermining where a sub-event has taken place within one or more viewswhen touch-sensitive display 112 displays more than one view. Views aremade up of controls and other elements that a user can see on thedisplay.

Another aspect of the user interface associated with an application is aset of views, sometimes herein called application views or userinterface windows, in which information is displayed and touch-basedgestures occur. The application views (of a respective application) inwhich a touch is detected optionally correspond to programmatic levelswithin a programmatic or view hierarchy of the application. For example,the lowest level view in which a touch is detected is, optionally,called the hit view, and the set of events that are recognized as properinputs are, optionally, determined based, at least in part, on the hitview of the initial touch that begins a touch-based gesture.

Hit view determination module 172 receives information related tosub-events of a touch-based gesture. When an application has multipleviews organized in a hierarchy, hit view determination module 172identifies a hit view as the lowest view in the hierarchy which shouldhandle the sub-event. In most circumstances, the hit view is the lowestlevel view in which an initiating sub-event occurs (e.g., the firstsub-event in the sequence of sub-events that form an event or potentialevent). Once the hit view is identified by the hit view determinationmodule 172, the hit view typically receives all sub-events related tothe same touch or input source for which it was identified as the hitview.

Active event recognizer determination module 173 determines which viewor views within a view hierarchy should receive a particular sequence ofsub-events. In some embodiments, active event recognizer determinationmodule 173 determines that only the hit view should receive a particularsequence of sub-events. In other embodiments, active event recognizerdetermination module 173 determines that all views that include thephysical location of a sub-event are actively involved views, andtherefore determines that all actively involved views should receive aparticular sequence of sub-events. In other embodiments, even if touchsub-events were entirely confined to the area associated with oneparticular view, views higher in the hierarchy would still remain asactively involved views.

Event dispatcher module 174 dispatches the event information to an eventrecognizer (e.g., event recognizer 180). In embodiments including activeevent recognizer determination module 173, event dispatcher module 174delivers the event information to an event recognizer determined byactive event recognizer determination module 173. In some embodiments,event dispatcher module 174 stores in an event queue the eventinformation, which is retrieved by a respective event receiver 182.

In some embodiments, operating system 126 includes event sorter 170.Alternatively, application 136-1 includes event sorter 170. In yet otherembodiments, event sorter 170 is a stand-alone module, or a part ofanother module stored in memory 102, such as contact/motion module 130.

In some embodiments, application 136-1 includes a plurality of eventhandlers 190 and one or more application views 191, each of whichincludes instructions for handling touch events that occur within arespective view of the application's user interface. Each applicationview 191 of the application 136-1 includes one or more event recognizers180. Typically, a respective application view 191 includes a pluralityof event recognizers 180. In other embodiments, one or more of eventrecognizers 180 are part of a separate module, such as a user interfacekit (not shown) or a higher level object from which application 136-1inherits methods and other properties. In some embodiments, a respectiveevent handler 190 includes one or more of: data updater 176, objectupdater 177, GUI updater 178, and/or event data 179 received from eventsorter 170. Event handler 190 optionally utilizes or calls data updater176, object updater 177, or GUI updater 178 to update the applicationinternal state 192. Alternatively, one or more of the application views191 include one or more respective event handlers 190. Also, in someembodiments, one or more of data updater 176, object updater 177, andGUI updater 178 are included in a respective application view 191.

A respective event recognizer 180 receives event information (e.g.,event data 179) from event sorter 170 and identifies an event from theevent information. Event recognizer 180 includes event receiver 182 andevent comparator 184. In some embodiments, event recognizer 180 alsoincludes at least a subset of: metadata 183, and event deliveryinstructions 188 (which optionally include sub-event deliveryinstructions).

Event receiver 182 receives event information from event sorter 170. Theevent information includes information about a sub-event, for example, atouch or a touch movement. Depending on the sub-event, the eventinformation also includes additional information, such as location ofthe sub-event. When the sub-event concerns motion of a touch, the eventinformation optionally also includes speed and direction of thesub-event. In some embodiments, events include rotation of the devicefrom one orientation to another (e.g., from a portrait orientation to alandscape orientation, or vice versa), and the event informationincludes corresponding information about the current orientation (alsocalled device attitude) of the device.

Event comparator 184 compares the event information to predefined eventor sub-event definitions and, based on the comparison, determines anevent or sub-event, or determines or updates the state of an event orsub-event. In some embodiments, event comparator 184 includes eventdefinitions 186. Event definitions 186 contain definitions of events(e.g., predefined sequences of sub-events), for example, event 1(187-1), event 2 (187-2), and others. In some embodiments, sub-events inan event (187) include, for example, touch begin, touch end, touchmovement, touch cancellation, and multiple touching. In one example, thedefinition for event 1 (187-1) is a double tap on a displayed object.The double tap, for example, comprises a first touch (touch begin) onthe displayed object for a predetermined phase, a first liftoff (touchend) for a predetermined phase, a second touch (touch begin) on thedisplayed object for a predetermined phase, and a second liftoff (touchend) for a predetermined phase. In another example, the definition forevent 2 (187-2) is a dragging on a displayed object. The dragging, forexample, comprises a touch (or contact) on the displayed object for apredetermined phase, a movement of the touch across touch-sensitivedisplay 112, and liftoff of the touch (touch end). In some embodiments,the event also includes information for one or more associated eventhandlers 190.

In some embodiments, event definition 187 includes a definition of anevent for a respective user-interface object. In some embodiments, eventcomparator 184 performs a hit test to determine which user-interfaceobject is associated with a sub-event. For example, in an applicationview in which three user-interface objects are displayed ontouch-sensitive display 112, when a touch is detected on touch-sensitivedisplay 112, event comparator 184 performs a hit test to determine whichof the three user-interface objects is associated with the touch(sub-event). If each displayed object is associated with a respectiveevent handler 190, the event comparator uses the result of the hit testto determine which event handler 190 should be activated. For example,event comparator 184 selects an event handler associated with thesub-event and the object triggering the hit test.

In some embodiments, the definition for a respective event (187) alsoincludes delayed actions that delay delivery of the event informationuntil after it has been determined whether the sequence of sub-eventsdoes or does not correspond to the event recognizer's event type.

When a respective event recognizer 180 determines that the series ofsub-events do not match any of the events in event definitions 186, therespective event recognizer 180 enters an event impossible, eventfailed, or event ended state, after which it disregards subsequentsub-events of the touch-based gesture. In this situation, other eventrecognizers, if any, that remain active for the hit view continue totrack and process sub-events of an ongoing touch-based gesture.

In some embodiments, a respective event recognizer 180 includes metadata183 with configurable properties, flags, and/or lists that indicate howthe event delivery system should perform sub-event delivery to activelyinvolved event recognizers. In some embodiments, metadata 183 includesconfigurable properties, flags, and/or lists that indicate how eventrecognizers interact, or are enabled to interact, with one another. Insome embodiments, metadata 183 includes configurable properties, flags,and/or lists that indicate whether sub-events are delivered to varyinglevels in the view or programmatic hierarchy.

In some embodiments, a respective event recognizer 180 activates eventhandler 190 associated with an event when one or more particularsub-events of an event are recognized. In some embodiments, a respectiveevent recognizer 180 delivers event information associated with theevent to event handler 190. Activating an event handler 190 is distinctfrom sending (and deferred sending) sub-events to a respective hit view.In some embodiments, event recognizer 180 throws a flag associated withthe recognized event, and event handler 190 associated with the flagcatches the flag and performs a predefined process.

In some embodiments, event delivery instructions 188 include sub-eventdelivery instructions that deliver event information about a sub-eventwithout activating an event handler. Instead, the sub-event deliveryinstructions deliver event information to event handlers associated withthe series of sub-events or to actively involved views. Event handlersassociated with the series of sub-events or with actively involved viewsreceive the event information and perform a predetermined process.

In some embodiments, data updater 176 creates and updates data used inapplication 136-1. For example, data updater 176 updates the telephonenumber used in contacts module 137, or stores a video file used in videoplayer module. In some embodiments, object updater 177 creates andupdates objects used in application 136-1. For example, object updater177 creates anew user-interface objector updates the position of auser-interface object. GUI updater 178 updates the GUI. For example, GUIupdater 178 prepares display information and sends it to graphics module132 for display on a touch-sensitive display.

In some embodiments, event handler(s) 190 includes or has access to dataupdater 176, object updater 177, and GUI updater 178. In someembodiments, data updater 176, object updater 177, and GUI updater 178are included in a single module of a respective application 136-1 orapplication view 191. In other embodiments, they are included in two ormore software modules.

It shall be understood that the foregoing discussion regarding eventhandling of user touches on touch-sensitive displays also applies toother forms of user inputs to operate multifunction devices 100 withinput devices, not all of which are initiated on touch screens. Forexample, mouse movement and mouse button presses, optionally coordinatedwith single or multiple keyboard presses or holds; contact movementssuch as taps, drags, scrolls, etc. on touchpads; pen stylus inputs;movement of the device; oral instructions; detected eye movements;biometric inputs; and/or any combination thereof are optionally utilizedas inputs corresponding to sub-events which define an event to berecognized.

FIG. 2 illustrates a portable multifunction device 100 having a touchscreen 112 in accordance with some embodiments. The touch screenoptionally displays one or more graphics within user interface (UI) 200.In this embodiment, as well as others described below, a user is enabledto select one or more of the graphics by making a gesture on thegraphics, for example, with one or more fingers 202 (not drawn to scalein the figure) or one or more styluses 203 (not drawn to scale in thefigure). In some embodiments, selection of one or more graphics occurswhen the user breaks contact with the one or more graphics. In someembodiments, the gesture optionally includes one or more taps, one ormore swipes (from left to right, right to left, upward and/or downward),and/or a rolling of a finger (from right to left, left to right, upwardand/or downward) that has made contact with device 100. In someimplementations or circumstances, inadvertent contact with a graphicdoes not select the graphic. For example, a swipe gesture that sweepsover an application icon optionally does not select the correspondingapplication when the gesture corresponding to selection is a tap.

Device 100 optionally also include one or more physical buttons, such as“home” or menu button 204. As described previously, menu button 204 is,optionally, used to navigate to any application 136 in a set ofapplications that are, optionally, executed on device 100.Alternatively, in some embodiments, the menu button is implemented as asoft key in a GUI displayed on touch screen 112.

In some embodiments, device 100 includes touch screen 112, menu button204, push button 206 for powering the device on/off and locking thedevice, volume adjustment button(s) 208, subscriber identity module(SIM) card slot 210, headset jack 212, and docking/charging externalport 124. Push button 206 is, optionally, used to turn the power on/offon the device by depressing the button and holding the button in thedepressed state for a predefined time interval; to lock the device bydepressing the button and releasing the button before the predefinedtime interval has elapsed; and/or to unlock the device or initiate anunlock process. In an alternative embodiment, device 100 also acceptsverbal input for activation or deactivation of some functions throughmicrophone 113. Device 100 also, optionally, includes one or morecontact intensity sensors 165 for detecting intensity of contacts ontouch screen 112 and/or one or more tactile output generators 167 forgenerating tactile outputs for a user of device 100.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an exemplary multifunction device with adisplay and a touch-sensitive surface in accordance with someembodiments. Device 300 need not be portable. In some embodiments,device 300 is a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer,a multimedia player device, a navigation device, an educational device(such as a child's learning toy), a gaming system, or a control device(e.g., a home or industrial controller). Device 300 typically includesone or more processing units (CPUs) 310, one or more network or othercommunications interfaces 360, memory 370, and one or more communicationbuses 320 for interconnecting these components. Communication buses 320optionally include circuitry (sometimes called a chipset) thatinterconnects and controls communications between system components.Device 300 includes input/output (I/O) interface 330 comprising display340, which is typically a touch screen display. I/O interface 330 alsooptionally includes a keyboard and/or mouse (or other pointing device)350 and touchpad 355, tactile output generator 357 for generatingtactile outputs on device 300 (e.g., similar to tactile outputgenerator(s) 167 described above with reference to FIG. 1A), sensors 359(e.g., optical, acceleration, proximity, touch-sensitive, and/or contactintensity sensors similar to contact intensity sensor(s) 165 describedabove with reference to FIG. 1A). Memory 370 includes high-speed randomaccess memory, such as DRAM, SRAM, DDR RAM, or other random access solidstate memory devices; and optionally includes non-volatile memory, suchas one or more magnetic disk storage devices, optical disk storagedevices, flash memory devices, or other non-volatile solid state storagedevices. Memory 370 optionally includes one or more storage devicesremotely located from CPU(s) 310. In some embodiments, memory 370 storesprograms, modules, and data structures analogous to the programs,modules, and data structures stored in memory 102 of portablemultifunction device 100 (FIG. 1A), or a subset thereof. Furthermore,memory 370 optionally stores additional programs, modules, and datastructures not present in memory 102 of portable multifunction device100. For example, memory 370 of device 300 optionally stores drawingmodule 380, presentation module 382, word processing module 384, websitecreation module 386, disk authoring module 388, and/or spreadsheetmodule 390, while memory 102 of portable multifunction device 100 (FIG.1A) optionally does not store these modules.

Each of the above-identified elements in FIG. 3 is, optionally, storedin one or more of the previously mentioned memory devices. Each of theabove-identified modules corresponds to a set of instructions forperforming a function described above. The above-identified modules orprograms (e.g., sets of instructions) need not be implemented asseparate software programs, procedures, or modules, and thus varioussubsets of these modules are, optionally, combined or otherwiserearranged in various embodiments. In some embodiments, memory 370optionally stores a subset of the modules and data structures identifiedabove. Furthermore, memory 370 optionally stores additional modules anddata structures not described above.

Attention is now directed towards embodiments of user interfaces thatare, optionally, implemented on, for example, portable multifunctiondevice 100.

FIG. 4A illustrates an exemplary user interface for a menu ofapplications on portable multifunction device 100 in accordance withsome embodiments. Similar user interfaces are, optionally, implementedon device 300. In some embodiments, user interface 400 includes thefollowing elements, or a subset or superset thereof:

-   -   Signal strength indicator(s) 402 for wireless communication(s),        such as cellular and Wi-Fi signals;    -   Time 404;    -   Bluetooth indicator 405;    -   Battery status indicator 406;    -   Tray 408 with icons for frequently used applications, such as:        -   Icon 416 for telephone module 138, labeled “Phone,” which            optionally includes an indicator 414 of the number of missed            calls or voicemail messages;        -   Icon 418 for e-mail client module 140, labeled “Mail,” which            optionally includes an indicator 410 of the number of unread            e-mails;        -   Icon 420 for browser module 147, labeled “Browser;” and        -   Icon 422 for video and music player module 152, also            referred to as iPod (trademark of Apple Inc.) module 152,            labeled “iPod;” and    -   Icons for other applications, such as:        -   Icon 424 for IM module 141, labeled “Messages;”        -   Icon 426 for calendar module 148, labeled “Calendar;”        -   Icon 428 for image management module 144, labeled “Photos;”        -   Icon 430 for camera module 143, labeled “Camera;”        -   Icon 432 for online video module 155, labeled “Online            Video;”        -   Icon 434 for stocks widget 149-2, labeled “Stocks;”        -   Icon 436 for map module 154, labeled “Maps;”        -   Icon 438 for weather widget 149-1, labeled “Weather;”        -   Icon 440 for alarm clock widget 149-4, labeled “Clock;”        -   Icon 442 for workout support module 142, labeled “Workout            Support;”        -   Icon 444 for notes module 153, labeled “Notes;” and        -   Icon 446 for a settings application or module, labeled            “Settings,” which provides access to settings for device 100            and its various applications 136.

It should be noted that the icon labels illustrated in FIG. 4A aremerely exemplary. For example, icon 422 for video and music playermodule 152 are labeled “Music” or “Music Player.” Other labels are,optionally, used for various application icons. In some embodiments, alabel for a respective application icon includes a name of anapplication corresponding to the respective application icon. In someembodiments, a label for a particular application icon is distinct froma name of an application corresponding to the particular applicationicon.

FIG. 4B illustrates an exemplary user interface on a device (e.g.,device 300, FIG. 3) with a touch-sensitive surface 451 (e.g., a tabletor touchpad 355, FIG. 3) that is separate from the display 450 (e.g.,touch screen display 112). Device 300 also, optionally, includes one ormore contact intensity sensors (e.g., one or more of sensors 359) fordetecting intensity of contacts on touch-sensitive surface 451 and/orone or more tactile output generators 357 for generating tactile outputsfor a user of device 300.

Although some of the examples that follow will be given with referenceto inputs on touch screen display 112 (where the touch-sensitive surfaceand the display are combined), in some embodiments, the device detectsinputs on a touch-sensitive surface that is separate from the display,as shown in FIG. 4B. In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive surface(e.g., 451 in FIG. 4B) has a primary axis (e.g., 452 in FIG. 4B) thatcorresponds to a primary axis (e.g., 453 in FIG. 4B) on the display(e.g., 450). In accordance with these embodiments, the device detectscontacts (e.g., 460 and 462 in FIG. 4B) with the touch-sensitive surface451 at locations that correspond to respective locations on the display(e.g., in FIG. 4B, 460 corresponds to 468 and 462 corresponds to 470).In this way, user inputs (e.g., contacts 460 and 462, and movementsthereof) detected by the device on the touch-sensitive surface (e.g.,451 in FIG. 4B) are used by the device to manipulate the user interfaceon the display (e.g., 450 in FIG. 4B) of the multifunction device whenthe touch-sensitive surface is separate from the display. It should beunderstood that similar methods are, optionally, used for other userinterfaces described herein.

FIG. 4C illustrates exemplary electronic devices that are incommunication with a display 450 and touch-sensitive surface 452. For atleast a subset of the computing devices, the display 450 and/or thetouch-sensitive surface 452 is integrated into the computing device inaccordance with some embodiments. While the examples described ingreater detail below are described with reference to a touch-sensitivesurface 451 and a display 450 that are in communication with a computingdevice (e.g., portable multifunction device 100 in FIGS. 1A-1B or device300 in FIG. 3), it should be understood that in accordance with someembodiments, the touch-sensitive surface and/or the display areintegrated with the computing device, while in other embodiments one ormore of the touch-sensitive surface and the display are separate fromthe computing device. Additionally, in some embodiments the computingdevice has an integrated display and/or an integrated touch-sensitivesurface and is in communication with one or more additional displaysand/or touch-sensitive surfaces that are separate from the computingdevice.

In some embodiments, all of the operations described below withreference to FIGS. 6B-6K and 9A-9F are performed on a single computingdevice with user interface navigation logic 480 (e.g., Computing DeviceA described below with reference to FIG. 4C). However, it should beunderstood that frequently multiple different computing devices arelinked together to perform the operations described below with referenceto 6B-6K and 9A-9F (e.g., a computing device with user interfacenavigation logic 480 communicates with a separate computing device witha display 450 and/or a separate computing device with a touch-sensitivesurface 451). In any of these embodiments, the computing device that isdescribed below with reference to 6B-6K and 9A-9F is the computingdevice (or devices) that contain(s) the user interface navigation logic480. Additionally, it should be understood that the user interfacenavigation logic 480 could be divided between a plurality of distinctmodules or computing devices in various embodiments; however, for thepurposes of the description herein, the user interface navigation logic480 will be primarily referred to as residing in a single computingdevice so as not to unnecessarily obscure other aspects of theembodiments.

In some embodiments, the user interface navigation logic 480 includesone or more modules (e.g., one or more event handlers 190, including oneor more object updaters 177 and one or more GUI updaters 178 asdescribed in greater detail above with reference to FIG. 1B) thatreceive interpreted inputs and, in response to these interpreted inputs,generate instructions for updating a graphical user interface inaccordance with the interpreted inputs which are subsequently used toupdate the graphical user interface on a display. In some embodiments,an interpreted input for an input that has been detected (e.g., by acontact motion module 130 in FIGS. 1A and 3), recognized (e.g., by anevent recognizer 180 in FIG. 1B) and/or distributed (e.g., by eventsorter 170 in FIG. 1B) is used to update the graphical user interface onthe display. In some embodiments, the interpreted inputs are generatedby modules at the computing device (e.g., the computing device receivesraw contact input data so as to identify gestures from the raw contactinput data). In some embodiments, some or all of the interpreted inputsare received by the computing device as interpreted inputs (e.g., acomputing device that includes the touch-sensitive surface 451 processesraw contact input data so as to identify gestures from the raw contactinput data and sends information indicative of the gestures to thecomputing device that includes the user interface navigation logic 480).

In some embodiments, both the display 450 and the touch-sensitivesurface 451 are integrated with the computing device (e.g., ComputingDevice A in FIG. 4C) that contains the user interface navigation logic480. For example, the computing device is optionally a desktop computeror laptop computer with an integrated display (e.g., 340 in FIG. 3) andtouchpad (e.g., 355 in FIG. 3). In another example, the computing deviceis a portable multifunction device 100 (e.g., a smartphone, PDA, tabletcomputer, etc.) with a touch screen (e.g., 112 in FIG. 2).

In some embodiments, the touch-sensitive surface 451 is integrated withthe computing device while the display 450 is not integrated with thecomputing device (e.g., Computing Device B in FIG. 4C) that contains theuser interface navigation logic 480. For example, the computing deviceoptionally is device 300 (e.g., a desktop computer or laptop computer)with an integrated touchpad (e.g., 355 in FIG. 3) connected (via wiredor wireless connection) to a separate display (e.g., a computer monitor,television, etc.). As another example, the computing device optionallyis a portable multifunction device 100 (e.g., a smartphone, PDA, tabletcomputer, etc.) with a touch screen (e.g., 112 in FIG. 2) connected (viawired or wireless connection) to a separate display (e.g., a computermonitor, television, etc.).

In some embodiments, the display 450 is integrated with the computingdevice while the touch-sensitive surface 451 is not integrated with thecomputing device (e.g., Computing Device C in FIG. 4C) that contains theuser interface navigation logic 480. For example, the computing deviceoptionally is device 300 (e.g., a desktop computer, laptop computer,television with integrated set-top box) with an integrated display(e.g., 340 in FIG. 3) connected (via wired or wireless connection) to aseparate touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a remote touchpad, a portablemultifunction device, etc.). In another example, the computing device isa portable multifunction device 100 (e.g., a smartphone, PDA, tabletcomputer, etc.) with a touch screen (e.g., 112 in FIG. 2) connected (viawired or wireless connection) to a separate touch-sensitive surface(e.g., a remote touchpad, another portable multifunction device with atouch screen serving as a remote touchpad, etc.).

In some embodiments, neither the display 450 nor the touch-sensitivesurface 451 is integrated with the computing device (e.g., ComputingDevice D in FIG. 4C) that contains the user interface navigation logic480. For example, the computing device optionally is stand-alonecomputing device 300 (e.g., a desktop computer, laptop computer,console, set-top box, etc.) connected (via wired or wireless connection)to a separate touch-sensitive surface (e.g., a remote touchpad, aportable multifunction device, etc.) and a separate display (e.g., acomputer monitor, television, etc.). Ins another example, the computingdevice is a portable multifunction device 100 (e.g., a smartphone, PDA,tablet computer, etc.) with a touch screen (e.g., 112 in FIG. 2)connected (via wired or wireless connection) to a separatetouch-sensitive surface (e.g., a remote touchpad, another portablemultifunction device with a touch screen serving as a remote touchpad,etc.).

In some embodiments, the computing device has an integrated audiosystem. In some embodiments, the computing device is in communicationwith an audio system that is separate from the computing device. In someembodiments, the audio system (e.g., an audio system integrated in atelevision unit) is integrated with a separate display 450. In someembodiments, the audio system (e.g., a stereo system) is a stand-alonesystem that is separate from the computing device and the display 450.

Additionally, while the following examples are given primarily withreference to finger inputs (e.g., finger contacts, finger tap gestures,finger swipe gestures), it should be understood that, in someembodiments, one or more of the finger inputs are replaced with inputfrom another input device (e.g., a mouse-based input or stylus input).For example, a swipe gesture is, optionally, replaced with a mouse click(e.g., instead of a contact) followed by movement of the cursor alongthe path of the swipe (e.g., instead of movement of the contact). Asanother example, a tap gesture is, optionally, replaced with a mouseclick while the cursor is located over the location of the tap gesture(e.g., instead of detection of the contact followed by ceasing to detectthe contact). Similarly, when multiple user inputs are simultaneouslydetected, it should be understood that multiple computer mice are,optionally, used simultaneously, or a mouse and finger contacts are,optionally, used simultaneously.

FIG. 5A illustrates exemplary personal electronic device 500. Device 500includes body 502. In some embodiments, device 500 can include some orall of the features described with respect to devices 100 and 300 (e.g.,FIGS. 1A-4B). In some embodiments, device 500 has touch-sensitivedisplay screen 504, hereafter touch screen 504. Alternatively, or inaddition to touch screen 504, device 500 has a display and atouch-sensitive surface. As with devices 100 and 300, in someembodiments, touch screen 504 (or the touch-sensitive surface)optionally includes one or more intensity sensors for detectingintensity of contacts (e.g., touches) being applied. The one or moreintensity sensors of touch screen 504 (or the touch-sensitive surface)can provide output data that represents the intensity of touches. Theuser interface of device 500 can respond to touches based on theirintensity, meaning that touches of different intensities can invokedifferent user interface operations on device 500.

Exemplary techniques for detecting and processing touch intensity arefound, for example, in related applications: International PatentApplication Serial No. PCT/US2013/040061, titled “Device, Method, andGraphical User Interface for Displaying User Interface ObjectsCorresponding to an Application,” filed May 8, 2013, published as WIPOPublication No. WO/2013/169849, and International Patent ApplicationSerial No. PCT/US2013/069483, titled “Device, Method, and Graphical UserInterface for Transitioning Between Touch Input to Display OutputRelationships,” filed Nov. 11, 2013, published as WIPO Publication No.WO/2014/105276, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

In some embodiments, device 500 has one or more input mechanisms 506 and508. Input mechanisms 506 and 508, if included, can be physical.Examples of physical input mechanisms include push buttons and rotatablemechanisms. In some embodiments, device 500 has one or more attachmentmechanisms. Such attachment mechanisms, if included, can permitattachment of device 500 with, for example, hats, eyewear, earrings,necklaces, shirts, jackets, bracelets, watch straps, chains, trousers,belts, shoes, purses, backpacks, and so forth. These attachmentmechanisms permit device 500 to be worn by a user.

FIG. 5B depicts exemplary personal electronic device 500. In someembodiments, device 500 can include some or all of the componentsdescribed with respect to FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 3. Device 500 has bus 512that operatively couples I/O section 514 with one or more computerprocessors 516 and memory 518. I/O section 514 can be connected todisplay 504, which can have touch-sensitive component 522 and,optionally, intensity sensor 524 (e.g., contact intensity sensor). Inaddition, I/O section 514 can be connected with communication unit 530for receiving application and operating system data, using Wi-Fi,Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), cellular, and/or otherwireless communication techniques. Device 500 can include inputmechanisms 506 and/or 508. Input mechanism 506 is, optionally, arotatable input device or a depressible and rotatable input device, forexample. Input mechanism 508 is, optionally, a button, in some examples.

Input mechanism 508 is, optionally, a microphone, in some examples.Personal electronic device 500 optionally includes various sensors, suchas GPS sensor 532, accelerometer 534, directional sensor 540 (e.g.,compass), gyroscope 536, motion sensor 538, and/or a combinationthereof, all of which can be operatively connected to I/O section 514.

Memory 518 of personal electronic device 500 can include one or morenon-transitory computer-readable storage mediums, for storingcomputer-executable instructions, which, when executed by one or morecomputer processors 516, for example, can cause the computer processorsto perform the techniques described below, including processes 700 (FIG.7) and process 1000 (FIGS. 10A-10B). Personal electronic device 500 isnot limited to the components and configuration of FIG. 5B, but caninclude other or additional components in multiple configurations.

As used here, the term “affordance” refers to a user-interactivegraphical user interface object that is, optionally, displayed on thedisplay screen of devices 100, 300, and/or 500 (FIGS. 1, 3, and 5). Forexample, an image (e.g., icon), a button, and text (e.g., hyperlink)each optionally constitute an affordance.

As used herein, the term “focus selector” refers to an input elementthat indicates a current part of a user interface with which a user isinteracting. In some implementations that include a cursor or otherlocation marker, the cursor acts as a “focus selector” so that when aninput (e.g., a press input) is detected on a touch-sensitive surface(e.g., touchpad 355 in FIG. 3 or touch-sensitive surface 451 in FIG. 4B)while the cursor is over a particular user interface element (e.g., abutton, window, slider, or other user interface element), the particularuser interface element is adjusted in accordance with the detectedinput. In some implementations that include a touch screen display(e.g., touch-sensitive display system 112 in FIG. 1A or touch screen 112in FIG. 4A) that enables direct interaction with user interface elementson the touch screen display, a detected contact on the touch screen actsas a “focus selector” so that when an input (e.g., a press input by thecontact) is detected on the touch screen display at a location of aparticular user interface element (e.g., a button, window, slider, orother user interface element), the particular user interface element isadjusted in accordance with the detected input. In some implementations,focus is moved from one region of a user interface to another region ofthe user interface without corresponding movement of a cursor ormovement of a contact on a touch screen display (e.g., by using a tabkey or arrow keys to move focus from one button to another button); inthese implementations, the focus selector moves in accordance withmovement of focus between different regions of the user interface.Without regard to the specific form taken by the focus selector, thefocus selector is generally the user interface element (or contact on atouch screen display) that is controlled by the user so as tocommunicate the user's intended interaction with the user interface(e.g., by indicating, to the device, the element of the user interfacewith which the user is intending to interact). For example, the locationof a focus selector (e.g., a cursor, a contact, or a selection box) overa respective button while a press input is detected on thetouch-sensitive surface (e.g., a touchpad or touch screen) will indicatethat the user is intending to activate the respective button (as opposedto other user interface elements shown on a display of the device).

As used in the specification and claims, the term “characteristicintensity” of a contact refers to a characteristic of the contact basedon one or more intensities of the contact. In some embodiments, thecharacteristic intensity is based on multiple intensity samples. Thecharacteristic intensity is, optionally, based on a predefined number ofintensity samples, or a set of intensity samples collected during apredetermined time period (e.g., 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10seconds) relative to a predefined event (e.g., after detecting thecontact, prior to detecting liftoff of the contact, before or afterdetecting a start of movement of the contact, prior to detecting an endof the contact, before or after detecting an increase in intensity ofthe contact, and/or before or after detecting a decrease in intensity ofthe contact). A characteristic intensity of a contact is, optionally,based on one or more of: a maximum value of the intensities of thecontact, a mean value of the intensities of the contact, an averagevalue of the intensities of the contact, a top 10 percentile value ofthe intensities of the contact, a value at the half maximum of theintensities of the contact, a value at the 90 percent maximum of theintensities of the contact, or the like. In some embodiments, theduration of the contact is used in determining the characteristicintensity (e.g., when the characteristic intensity is an average of theintensity of the contact over time). In some embodiments, thecharacteristic intensity is compared to a set of one or more intensitythresholds to determine whether an operation has been performed by auser. For example, the set of one or more intensity thresholdsoptionally includes a first intensity threshold and a second intensitythreshold. In this example, a contact with a characteristic intensitythat does not exceed the first threshold results in a first operation, acontact with a characteristic intensity that exceeds the first intensitythreshold and does not exceed the second intensity threshold results ina second operation, and a contact with a characteristic intensity thatexceeds the second threshold results in a third operation. In someembodiments, a comparison between the characteristic intensity and oneor more thresholds is used to determine whether or not to perform one ormore operations (e.g., whether to perform a respective operation orforgo performing the respective operation), rather than being used todetermine whether to perform a first operation or a second operation.

In some embodiments, a portion of a gesture is identified for purposesof determining a characteristic intensity. For example, atouch-sensitive surface optionally receives a continuous swipe contacttransitioning from a start location and reaching an end location, atwhich point the intensity of the contact increases. In this example, thecharacteristic intensity of the contact at the end location is,optionally, based on only a portion of the continuous swipe contact, andnot the entire swipe contact (e.g., only the portion of the swipecontact at the end location). In some embodiments, a smoothing algorithmis, optionally, applied to the intensities of the swipe contact prior todetermining the characteristic intensity of the contact. For example,the smoothing algorithm optionally includes one or more of: anunweighted sliding-average smoothing algorithm, a triangular smoothingalgorithm, a median filter smoothing algorithm, and/or an exponentialsmoothing algorithm. In some circumstances, these smoothing algorithmseliminate narrow spikes or dips in the intensities of the swipe contactfor purposes of determining a characteristic intensity.

The intensity of a contact on the touch-sensitive surface is,optionally, characterized relative to one or more intensity thresholds,such as a contact-detection intensity threshold, a light press intensitythreshold, a deep press intensity threshold, and/or one or more otherintensity thresholds. In some embodiments, the light press intensitythreshold corresponds to an intensity at which the device will performoperations typically associated with clicking a button of a physicalmouse or a trackpad. In some embodiments, the deep press intensitythreshold corresponds to an intensity at which the device will performoperations that are different from operations typically associated withclicking a button of a physical mouse or a trackpad. In someembodiments, when a contact is detected with a characteristic intensitybelow the light press intensity threshold (e.g., and above a nominalcontact-detection intensity threshold below which the contact is nolonger detected), the device will move a focus selector in accordancewith movement of the contact on the touch-sensitive surface withoutperforming an operation associated with the light press intensitythreshold or the deep press intensity threshold. Generally, unlessotherwise stated, these intensity thresholds are consistent betweendifferent sets of user interface figures.

An increase of characteristic intensity of the contact from an intensitybelow the light press intensity threshold to an intensity between thelight press intensity threshold and the deep press intensity thresholdis sometimes referred to as a “light press” input. An increase ofcharacteristic intensity of the contact from an intensity below the deeppress intensity threshold to an intensity above the deep press intensitythreshold is sometimes referred to as a “deep press” input. An increaseof characteristic intensity of the contact from an intensity below thecontact-detection intensity threshold to an intensity between thecontact-detection intensity threshold and the light press intensitythreshold is sometimes referred to as detecting the contact on thetouch-surface. A decrease of characteristic intensity of the contactfrom an intensity above the contact-detection intensity threshold to anintensity below the contact-detection intensity threshold is sometimesreferred to as detecting liftoff of the contact from the touch-surface.In some embodiments, the contact-detection intensity threshold is zero.In some embodiments, the contact-detection intensity threshold isgreater than zero.

In some embodiments described herein, one or more operations areperformed in response to detecting a gesture that includes a respectivepress input or in response to detecting the respective press inputperformed with a respective contact (or a plurality of contacts), wherethe respective press input is detected based at least in part ondetecting an increase in intensity of the contact (or plurality ofcontacts) above a press-input intensity threshold. In some embodiments,the respective operation is performed in response to detecting theincrease in intensity of the respective contact above the press-inputintensity threshold (e.g., a “down stroke” of the respective pressinput). In some embodiments, the press input includes an increase inintensity of the respective contact above the press-input intensitythreshold and a subsequent decrease in intensity of the contact belowthe press-input intensity threshold, and the respective operation isperformed in response to detecting the subsequent decrease in intensityof the respective contact below the press-input threshold (e.g., an “upstroke” of the respective press input).

In some embodiments, the device employs intensity hysteresis to avoidaccidental inputs sometimes termed “jitter,” where the device defines orselects a hysteresis intensity threshold with a predefined relationshipto the press-input intensity threshold (e.g., the hysteresis intensitythreshold is X intensity units lower than the press-input intensitythreshold or the hysteresis intensity threshold is 75%, 90%, or somereasonable proportion of the press-input intensity threshold). Thus, insome embodiments, the press input includes an increase in intensity ofthe respective contact above the press-input intensity threshold and asubsequent decrease in intensity of the contact below the hysteresisintensity threshold that corresponds to the press-input intensitythreshold, and the respective operation is performed in response todetecting the subsequent decrease in intensity of the respective contactbelow the hysteresis intensity threshold (e.g., an “up stroke” of therespective press input). Similarly, in some embodiments, the press inputis detected only when the device detects an increase in intensity of thecontact from an intensity at or below the hysteresis intensity thresholdto an intensity at or above the press-input intensity threshold and,optionally, a subsequent decrease in intensity of the contact to anintensity at or below the hysteresis intensity, and the respectiveoperation is performed in response to detecting the press input (e.g.,the increase in intensity of the contact or the decrease in intensity ofthe contact, depending on the circumstances).

For ease of explanation, the descriptions of operations performed inresponse to a press input associated with a press-input intensitythreshold or in response to a gesture including the press input are,optionally, triggered in response to detecting either: an increase inintensity of a contact above the press-input intensity threshold, anincrease in intensity of a contact from an intensity below thehysteresis intensity threshold to an intensity above the press-inputintensity threshold, a decrease in intensity of the contact below thepress-input intensity threshold, and/or a decrease in intensity of thecontact below the hysteresis intensity threshold corresponding to thepress-input intensity threshold. Additionally, in examples where anoperation is described as being performed in response to detecting adecrease in intensity of a contact below the press-input intensitythreshold, the operation is, optionally, performed in response todetecting a decrease in intensity of the contact below a hysteresisintensity threshold corresponding to, and lower than, the press-inputintensity threshold.

As used herein, an “installed application” refers to a softwareapplication that has been downloaded onto an electronic device (e.g.,devices 100, 300, and/or 500) and is ready to be launched (e.g., becomeopened) on the device. In some embodiments, a downloaded applicationbecomes an installed application by way of an installation program thatextracts program portions from a downloaded package and integrates theextracted portions with the operating system of the computer system.

Attention is now directed towards embodiments of user interfaces (“UI”)and associated processes that are implemented on an electronic device,such as portable multifunction device 100, device 300, or device 500.

Attention is now directed towards embodiments of user interfaces (“UI”)and associated processes that optionally are implemented with anelectronic device that communicates with and/or includes a display and atouch-sensitive surface, such as one of Computing Devices A-D in FIG. 4Cor an electronic device, such as portable multifunction device 100,device 300, or device 500.

FIG. 6A illustrates exemplary devices connected via one or morecommunication channels to share application visual output in accordancewith some embodiments. Electronic device 600, in some cases, correspondsto any of Computing Devices A-D described with respect to FIG. 4C.Electronic device 600 includes user interface and navigation logic 600A,which, in some cases, corresponds to user interface navigation logic 480of FIG. 4C. Electronic device 600 also optionally includes display 600B,which, in some cases, corresponds to display 450 of FIG. 4C. Ifelectronic device 600 does not include display 600B, then display 600Bis external to electronic device 600 and in communication withelectronic device 600 via communications channel 604A. Electronic device600 also optionally includes user input device 600C, which, in somecases, corresponds to touch-sensitive surface 452 of FIG. 4C. Ifelectronic device 600 does not include input devices 600C, then inputdevice 600C is external to electronic device 600 and in communicationwith electronic device 600 via communications channel 604B. Electronicdevice 600 can also include some or all of features of devices 100, 300,or 500.

In some cases electronic device 600 connects to network device 601 viacommunications channel 604C, which allows for connections to externaldevices 603A-C via communications channels 604D-F, respectively. In somecases electronic device 600 also directly connects to external device603C via communications channel 604G. In some cases electronic device600 also connects to remote server 603 via communications channel 604H,the Internet and communications channel 604. Communications channels604A-I are any form of communications channels, such as wired (e.g.,Ethernet, USB, Lightning, Fiber) or wireless (e.g., WiFi, Bluetooth, IR)connections.

FIGS. 6B-6K illustrate exemplary user interfaces for navigating throughmedia content in accordance with some embodiments. The user interfacesin these figures are used to illustrate the processes described below,including the processes in FIGS. 7 and 10A-OB. Although some of theexamples which follow will be given with reference to inputs on atouch-sensitive surface 451 that is separate from the display 450, insome embodiments, the device detects inputs on a touch-screen display(where the touch-sensitive surface and the display are combined), asshown in FIG. 4A. Although some of the examples which will follow willbe given with reference to inputs on a remote user input device (e.g., aremote control) that is separate from the device (e.g., device 600), insome embodiments, the device includes an integrated user input device(e.g., a trackpad).

FIG. 6B illustrates display 600B of FIG. 6A, which is, in someembodiments, display 450 (FIG. 4C) or the display of device 100, 300, or500. Electronic device 600 causes display 600B to show visual output 604of an application running on electronic device 600 in communication withdisplay 600B. The application is a game application. Although some ofthe embodiments are described with respect to a gaming application,other types of applications could also be used. Visual output 604includes health meter 605 for player 610 and health meter 606 for player612. Visual output 604 also includes timer 608 and background image 614.Menu 618 is displayed and includes affordance 622 for starting the game,which can be considered starting a task of the gaming application. Menu618 also includes affordance 624 for exiting the application. Indicator620, which is not displayed in some embodiments, aids the user inselecting either of affordances 622 and 624. Menu 618 is an applicationuser interface element as opposed to a system user interface element.

In response to receiving user input selecting affordance 622, electronicdevice 600 begins the gaming session and updates the visual output ofthe application to show the progress of the game, as depicted in FIG.6C. In some embodiments, visual output 604 of the application task isrecorded. In some cases, visual output 604 is record for everyapplication task regardless of whether the user requested such arecording. In other cases, visual output 604 is only recorded inresponse to an express request (e.g., via user input) to do so from theuser, as will be descried below.

FIG. 6D depicts the game ending based on the time running out asindicated by timer 608. Because health meter 605 has more health thanhealth meter 606, player 610 has won (as indicated by banner 626) andplayer 612 has lost. Once these results are shown, the application taskends in that an active session of the game is not on going. In someembodiments, in response to the end of the application task, therecording of visual output 604 is stopped.

After the application task has ended, FIG. 6E depicts menu 628 beingdisplayed, which includes three affordances. Affordance 630 allows theuser to continue the games (for example, returning to the start screenin FIG. 6B). Affordance 632 starts a replay of the recorded visualoutput of the application task. The replay could be either with theactive application or another application could be executed to play therecorded visual output. In some embodiments, the recorded visual outputtakes various forms (e.g., a video file, commands to recreate theapplication visual output, or other data sufficient to reproduce thevisual output of the application task). Affordance 634 allows therecorded visual output to be shared with another electronic device thatis associated with electronic device 600 in communication with display600B. Indicator 636, which is not present in some embodiments, aides auser to select any of affordances 6630, 632, and 634.

In response to receiving user input selecting affordance 634, electronicdevice 600 causes menu 638 to be displayed, as depicted in FIG. 6F. Menu638 includes prompt 640 to selecting a sharing mechanism. Affordance 644selects AirDrop to share the recorded visual output. Affordance 646selects AllShare to share the recorded visual output. In some cases,there is only one mechanism to share the recorded visual output data. Inthis case, menu 638 is skipped. In other cases, there is not anavailable method for the recorded visual output to be shared. In thiscase, a menu is displayed prompting the user whether they would like todownload/install an application that can share the recorded visualoutput. The menu can also include an affordance for opening anapplication store to search for such an application. An example of asimilar type of menu is menu 916 of FIG. 9C, described below.

In some cases, menu 638 is displayed by the application based on data itreceived from the operating system of electronic device 600. In othercases, menu 638 is displayed by the operating system or other systemcomponents in response to a request from the application.

In response to user input selecting affordance 642 (or in the case whereAirDrop is the only available way to share), device 600 causes menu 648to be displayed, as depicted in FIG. 6G. Prompt 650 instructs the userto select affordances 652, 654, or 656 representing externals devices(e.g., external devices 603A-603C of FIG. 6A) with which the userswishes to share the recorded visual output. Affordance 652 represents asmartphone. Affordance 654 represents a laptop computer. Affordance 656represents another electronics device, such as a tablet computer. Insome embodiments, menu 648 is a system user interface element, asopposed to an application user interface element.

External devices 603A-603C corresponding to affordances 652, 654, and656 are associated with electronic device 600 in some manner. In someembodiments, external devices 603A-603C are all within a thresholdproximity of electronic device 600 (e.g., as indicated by Bluetoothcommunications); external devices 603A-603C are all associated with theuser of electronic device 600 (e.g., the user has a common username onelectronic device 600 and external devices 603A-603C or the user issigned on to electronic device 600 and external devices 603A-603C); orthe devices are all only associated with the user of electronic device600. In some cases electronic device 600 is associated with multipleusers (e.g., electronic device 600 is a shared device such as a set topbox that controls a user interface on a television which is a devicethat individual users do not typically sign on to using their personalcommunication or social accounts). In some cases external devices603A-603C listed in menu 648 are used only with a single user (e.g., adevice on which the user is signed on to one or more personalcommunication and social accounts so that the user can share therecorded visual output using the personal communication and/or socialaccounts).

In some embodiments, it is beneficial to share the recorded visualoutput with another device because electronic device 600 has limitedapplications or other means to share the recorded visual output (e.g.,limited to sharing data to devices that are in close proximity andassociated with the same user that is using electronic device 600) whileone or more of external devices 603A-603C, in some embodiments, has manymore applications or other means to share the recorded visual output(e.g., email, social networking, websites). In other words, in somecases, external devices 603A-603C in menu 648 have more ways to sharethe application task data than electronic device 600 that executed theapplication task. In addition to being able to use the additionalresources of external devices 603A-603C listed in menu 648 to furthershare the recorded visual output, in some embodiments, it is bebeneficial to share the recorded visual output with one or more of thesedevices because electronic device 600 has limited memory (e.g.,non-volatile memory), such as 64 GB or less.

In response receiving user input selecting one of the affordances ofmenu 648, electronic device 600 will transmit the recorded visual outputto the selected external device using any number of communicationschannels, such a WiFi, Bluetooth, or other communications protocols. Insome cases, the transmission from electronic device 600 to the selecteddevice (e.g., external device 603C) is direct in that the transmissiondoes not pass through any intermediate servers or networking devices(e.g., via communications channel 604G of FIG. 6A).

Instead of recording visual output of the application automatically inresponse to the application starting, electronic device 600 can alsorecord visual output of the application in response to a request formthe user. For example, with reference to FIG. 6H, menu 658 depicts apause menu as indicated by label 660. Menu 658 includes affordances 662,664, 666, and 668. Indicator 670, which is not present in someembodiments, is used to aid the user in selecting an affordance.Affordance 662 causes the current game session to exit and the user tobe returned to the home screen (e.g., FIG. 6B). Affordance 674 allowsthe user to request that the visual output of the game session berecorded. Affordance 666 allows the user to restart the current gamesession (e.g., from the start of the level). Affordance 668 allows theuser to resume the current game session.

In some embodiments, in response to receiving user input selectingaffordance 664, electronic device 600 starts (e.g., immediately) torecord visual output. In some embodiments, electronic device 600 waitsuntil the current game session is resumed (e.g, unpaused). In someembodiments, the game session resumes automatically in response to theselection of affordance 664. In some embodiments, the game sessionresumes only in response to the user subsequently providing user inputselecting affordance 668. In any of these cases, the visual output ofthe game session is recorded in accordance with the user input selectingaffordance 664.

After the game session starts again (i.e., resumes), as depicted in FIG.6, indicator 672 is displayed, indicating that the visual output of thegame session is being recorded. In some embodiments, the visual outputis recorded until the game session is paused again, the game session ispaused and the user provided input indicating the recording should bestopped, or the game session terminates (e.g., the level ends, the gameis over, or the player dies in a single player game).

FIG. 6J depicts pause menu 674 after the visual output for the currentgame session has been set to record. Menu 674 indicates that the game ispaused via label 676. Affordances 678, 684, and 686 present similaroptions as described previously with respect to affordances 662, 666,and 668, respectively, of FIG. 6H. Affordance 680 allows the user torequest that the visual output no longer be recorded. Indicator 682 aidsin the user's selection of one of the affordances. In response toreceiving user input selecting affordance 680, pause menu 688 isdisplayed, as depicted in 6K. In some embodiments, further in responseto receiving user input selecting affordance 680, previously recordedvisual output is deleted. Menu 688 is similar to menu 674. Label 690indicates that the current game session is paused and indicator 696 aidsthe user in selecting one of the displayed affordances. Affordances 692,697, and 698 perform similar functions as described previously withrespect to affordances 662, 666, and 668, respectively, of FIG. 6H.Affordances 694 and 696 provide for the same functionality asaffordances 632 and 634 of FIG. 6E.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for sharing applicationvisual output using an electronic device in accordance with someembodiments. Method 700 is performed, for example at electronic device600. Some operations in method 700 are, optionally, combined, the orderof some operations is, optionally, changed, and some operations are,optionally, omitted.

As described below, method 700 provides an intuitive way for sharingapplication visual output. The method reduces the cognitive burden on auser for sharing application visual output, thereby creating a moreefficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computingdevices, enabling a user to share application visual output faster andmore efficiently conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

The first electronic device receives a first input (e.g., affordanceselection via remote control or other device connected to the firstelectronic device) corresponding to an affordance to start a task (e.g.,622, 664, 668) (e.g., starting a game session or resuming a game sessionfrom the pause screen) in an application (e.g., a game applicationdepicted in FIGS. 6B-6K) executing on the one or more processors. Inresponse to the electronic device receiving the first input, theelectronic device starts the task (e.g., a session of the game). Whilethe task is ongoing, the first electronic device records visual outputof the application as application task data (e.g., a video file). Afterthe task has ceased, the first electronic device causes to be displayedon the display an affordance for sharing (e.g., 634, 644, 646, 695)(e.g., AirDrop sharing or a sharing application) the application taskdata with a second electronic device (e.g., a phone, tablet, orcomputer) that is associated with the first electronic device (e.g., thesecond electronic device has the same user or is in close proximity tothe first electronic device). While the affordance for sharing (e.g.,634, 644, 646, 695) is displayed on the display, the first electronicdevice receives a second input that corresponds to selection of theaffordance for sharing the application task data. In response to thefirst electronic device receiving the second input, the first electronicdevice transmits the application task data to the second electronicdevice (e.g., one of 603A-603C) over the communication interface. Theabove permits a user to control when application visual output is sharedform within the application that is generating the output. This makes itmore efficient and easier for the user to share content. By integratingthe recording and sharing controls into the application, the user doesnot need to access or switch other applications.

In accordance with some embodiments, the third user input is receivedbefore the task starts (e.g., an affordance to turn on recording isdisplayed at a start screen of the task).

In accordance with some embodiments, the third user input is receivedafter the task has started and while the task is paused (e.g., FIG. 6H).

In accordance with some embodiments, the application is a gameapplication (e.g., the game application depicted in FIGS. 6B-6K).

In accordance with some embodiments, the application task is a gamesession (e.g., the game session depicted in FIGS. 6B-6E).

In accordance with some embodiments, prior to the first electronicdevice starting to record the visual output of the task, the firstelectronic device receives a third user input that corresponds to anindication to record the visual output of the task (e.g., 664), whereinthe first electronic device recording the visual output of theapplication as the application task data is based on (e.g., in responseto) receiving the third user input.

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic devicereceives a fourth user input that corresponds to selection of anaffordance to request the recording of the visual output of the task tostop (e.g., 680). After the first electronic device receives the fourthuser input, the first electronic device ceases the recording of thevisual output of the task while the task is executing (and, optionallydeleting previously recorded visual output of the task).

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic devicereceives the fourth user input while the task is paused (e.g., FIG. 6J).

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic device causingdisplay of the affordance for sharing occurs in response to thecessation of the task (e.g., when the user has requested an end of thetask by pausing or quitting a game, or when the task has endedautomatically such as when the user loses a game or successfullycompletes a level). This simplifies the man-machine interface byautomatically presenting an option to share the application task data inresponse to the task ending instead of having to switch applications toshare the application task data.

In accordance with some embodiments, after the task has ceased, thefirst electronic device causes display of an affordance (e.g., 634) forproviding an option to share the application task data on the display.The first electronic device receives fifth user input selecting theaffordance for providing an option to share the application task data,wherein the display of the affordance for sharing (e.g., 644, 646, 652,654, 656) occurs in response to receiving the fifth user input.

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic device detectsthe cessation of the task (e.g., the task is paused or terminated). Inresponse to detecting the cessation of the task, the first electronicdevice ceases to record the visual output.

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic device detectsthe cessation of the task (e.g., the task is paused or terminated). Inresponse to detecting the cessation of the task, the first electronicdevice causes display of an affordance (e.g., 632, 694) for viewing theapplication task data (e.g., providing the user with an option to reviewthe video recording of the game when the game is paused, aftersuccessful completion of a level, and/or after losing the game). Inresponse to the first electronic device receiving user input selectingthe affordance for playing the application task data (e.g., 632, 694),the first electronic device causes display of the application task data.

In accordance with some embodiments, the second electronic device is afirst external device (e.g., one of 603A-603C) of a plurality ofexternal devices (e.g., 603A-603C). After the first electronic devicereceives the second user input selecting the affordance for sharing, thefirst electronic device causes display of one or more affordances (e.g.,652, 654, 656) associated the plurality of external devices (e.g.,603A-603C). The first electronic device receives sixth user inputselecting an affordance corresponding to the first external device(e.g., one of 603A-603C). In response to the first electronic devicereceiving the sixth user input, the first electronic device designatesthe first external device as recipient of the transmission of theapplication task data.

In accordance with some embodiments, the one or more external devices(e.g., 603A-603C) are determined based on a proximity to the firstelectronic device.

In accordance with some embodiments, the second electronic device isassociated with a user of the first electronic device (e.g., the firstelectronic device and the second electronic device are both associatedor signed on with a same user account of a content synchronization orpurchase sharing service such as a personal or family iCloud account).

In accordance with some embodiments, wherein the second electronicdevice is associated with only a user (e.g., an iPhone that only has asingle user) of the first electronic device.

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic device isassociated with multiple users (e.g., the first electronic device is ashared device such as a set top box that controls a user interface on atelevision which is a device that individual users do not typically signon to their personal communication and social accounts) and the secondelectronic device is associated with a single user (e.g., a device onwhich the user is signed on to one or more personal communication andsocial accounts so that the user can share the recorded video using thepersonal communication and/or social accounts).

In accordance with some embodiments, the second electronic device is asmartphone or a tablet computer.

In accordance with some embodiments, the memory has a size of 64 GB orless.

In accordance with some embodiments, the application task data is amultimedia file.

In accordance with some embodiments, the application task data istransmitted directly (e.g., without going through intermediate serversor networking devices) to the second electronic device (e.g., 603C via604G).

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic deviceincludes a first set of one or more ways to share the application taskdata (e.g., FIG. 6F) (e.g., AirDrop, direct transfers) and wherein thesecond electronic device includes a second set of one or more ways toshare the application task data (e.g., web, email, posting) differentfrom the first set of one or more ways. In some examples, the secondelectronic device has more ways to share the application task data thanthe first electronic device.

In accordance with some embodiments, the affordance for sharing theapplication task data (e.g., 644, 646, 652, 654, 656) is a system userinterface element and wherein the affordance to start the task (e.g.,622, 664, 668) and the affordance to stop the recording of the visualoutput (e.g., 680) are application user interface elements (e.g., userinterface elements controlled by the application that invoke systemprotocols for recording the application task data).

In accordance with some embodiments, the second electronic device isconfigured to enable sharing via a plurality of different sharingservices (e.g., email, social networks, video archives).

Note that details of the processes described above with respect tomethod 700 (e.g., FIG. 7) are also applicable in an analogous manner tothe methods described below/above. For example, method 900 optionallyincludes one or more of the characteristics of the various methodsdescribed above with reference to method 700. For example, the use of acombination of system user interface objects and application interfaceobjects to enable applications to rely on system capabilities describedwith respect to method 700 is also applicable to method 1000. Forbrevity, these details are not repeated below.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 8 shows an exemplaryfunctional block diagram of an electronic device 800 configured inaccordance with the principles of the various described embodiments. Inaccordance with some embodiments, the functional blocks of electronicdevice 800 are configured to perform the techniques described above. Thefunctional blocks of the device 800 are, optionally, implemented byhardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software to carryout the principles of the various described examples. It is understoodby persons of skill in the art that the functional blocks described inFIG. 8 are, optionally, combined or separated into sub-blocks toimplement the principles of the various described examples. Therefore,the description herein optionally supports any possible combination orseparation or further definition of the functional blocks describedherein.

As shown in FIG. 8, an electronic device 800 is in communication with adisplay unit 802 configured to display a graphic user interface and atouch-sensitive surface unit 804 configured to receive contacts andincludes a processing unit 806. In some embodiments, the processing unit806 includes a display causing unit 810, a receiving unit 812, astarting unit 814, a recording unit 816, and a transmitting unit 818,and, optionally, a designating unit 820 and a detecting unit 822.

The processing unit 806 is configured to: receive (e.g., with receivingunit 812) a first input corresponding to an affordance to start a taskin an application executing on the one or more processors; in responseto receiving the first input, start (e.g., with starting unit 814) thetask; while the task is ongoing, record (e.g., with recording unit 816)visual output of the application as application task data; after thetask has ceased, cause to be displayed (e.g., with display causing unit810) on the display an affordance for sharing the application task datawith a second electronic device that is associated with the firstelectronic device; and while the affordance for sharing is displayed onthe display, receive (e.g., with receiving unit 812) a second input thatcorresponds to selection of the affordance for sharing the applicationtask data; and in response to receiving the second input, transmit(e.g., with transmitting unit 818) the application task data to thesecond electronic device over the communication interface.

In some embodiments, the application is a game application.

In some embodiments, the application task is a game session.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 806 is further configured to,prior to starting to record the visual output of the task, receive(e.g., with receiving unit 812) a third user input that corresponds toan indication to record the visual output of the task, wherein therecording the visual output of the application as the application taskdata is based on receiving the third user input.

In some embodiments, the third user input is received before the taskstarts.

In some embodiments, the third user input is received after the task hasstarted and while the task is paused.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 806 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with receiving unit 812) a fourth user input thatcorresponds to selection of an affordance to request the recording ofthe visual output of the task to stop; and after receiving the fourthuser input, cease the recording (e.g., with recording unit 816) of thevisual output of the task while the task is executing.

In some embodiments, receiving the fourth user input is received whilethe task is paused.

In some embodiments, cause display (e.g., with display causing unit 810)of the affordance for sharing occurs in response to the cessation of thetask.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 806 is further configured to,after the task has ceased, cause display (e.g., with display causingunit 810) of an affordance for providing an option to share theapplication task data on the display; and receive (e.g., with thereceiving unit 812) fifth user input selecting the affordance forproviding an option to share the application task data, wherein thedisplay of the affordance for sharing occurs in response to receivingthe fifth user input.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 806 is further configured todetect (e.g., with detecting unit 822) the cessation of the task; and inresponse to detecting the cessation of the task, cease recording (e.g.,with recording unit 816) the visual output.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 806 is further configured todetect (e.g., with detecting unit 822) the cessation of the task; inresponse to detecting the cessation of the task, cause display (e.g.,with display causing unit 810) of an affordance for viewing theapplication task data; and in response to receiving user input selectingthe affordance for playing the application task data, cause display(e.g., with display causing unit 810) of the application task data.

In some embodiments, the second electronic device is a first externaldevice of a plurality of external devices and the processing unit 806 isfurther configured to after receiving the second user input selectingthe affordance for sharing, cause display (e.g., with display causingunit 812) of one or more affordances associating the plurality ofexternal devices; receive (e.g., with receiving unit 812) sixth userinput selecting an affordance corresponding to the first externaldevice; and in response to receiving the sixth user input, designate(e.g., with designating unit 820) the first external device as recipientof the transmission of the application task data.

In some embodiments, the one or more external devices are determinedbased on a proximity to the first electronic device.

In some embodiments, wherein the second electronic device is associatedwith a user of the first electronic device.

In some embodiments, wherein the second electronic device is associatedwith only a user of the first electronic device.

In some embodiments, the first electronic device is associated withmultiple users and the second electronic device is associated with asingle user.

In some embodiments, the second electronic device is a smartphone or atablet computer.

In some embodiments, the memory has a size of 64 GB or less.

In some embodiments, the application task data is a multimedia file.

In some embodiments, the application task data is transmitted directlyto the second electronic device.

In some embodiments, the first electronic device includes a first set ofone or more ways to share the application task data and the secondelectronic includes a second set of one or more ways to share theapplication task data different from the first set of one or more ways.

In some embodiments, the affordance for sharing the application taskdata is a system user interface element and the affordance to start thetask and the affordance to stop the recording of the visual output areapplication user interface elements.

In some embodiments, the second electronic device is configured toenable sharing via a plurality of different sharing services.

The operations described above with reference to FIG. 7 are, optionally,implemented by components depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B or FIG. 8. Forexample, receiving operations 712 and 716 are, optionally, implementedby event sorter 170, event recognizer 180, and event handler 190. Eventmonitor 171 in event sorter 170 detects a contact on touch-sensitivedisplay 112, and event dispatcher module 174 delivers the eventinformation to application 136-1. A respective event recognizer 180 ofapplication 136-1 compares the event information to respective eventdefinitions 186, and determines whether a first contact at a firstlocation on the touch-sensitive surface corresponds to a predefinedevent or sub event, such as activation of an affordance on a userinterface. When a respective predefined event or sub-event is detected,event recognizer 180 activates an event handler 190 associated with thedetection of the event or sub-event. Event handler 190 optionallyutilizes or calls data updater 176 or object updater 177 to update theapplication internal state 192. In some embodiments, event handler 190accesses a respective GUI updater 178 to update what is displayed by theapplication. Similarly, it would be clear to a person having ordinaryskill in the art how other processes can be implemented based on thecomponents depicted in FIGS. 1A-1B.

FIGS. 9A-9F depict user interfaces and menus similar to those of FIGS.6B-6K, except that the user interfaces and menus of FIGS. 9A-9F enable auser to broadcast the visual output of an application task, such as agame session, instead of recording the visual output. Referring to FIG.9A, menu 900 includes affordances 904 and 906 and indicator 902 thataids the user in selecting one of the affordances. In responseelectronic device 600 receiving user input selecting affordance 904, thegame session would start without broadcasting or recording the visualoutput. In response to electronic device 600 receiving user inputselecting affordance 906, menu 908 of FIG. 9B is displayed. Menu 908includes affordance 910, 912, and 914 for three different broadcastapplications installed on electronic device 600. By selecting one of theaffordances, electronic device 600 will send the visual output of theapplication task (when the task starts) to the selected broadcastapplication for broadcasting.

In some embodiments, the list of broadcast applications in menu 908 isdetermined using various techniques, including an API call for theoperating system of electronic device 600, querying a database, checkingconfiguration data, or other sources data about installed applications.In some embodiments, broadcast applications are applications thatreceive or generate a live stream of the visual output of an application(e.g., video game output) and send the visual output for broadcastingand viewing by remote users. In some embodiments, in accordance with adetermination that multiple broadcast applications are available, menu908 is displayed to allow the user to select one of the broadcastapplications. In some embodiments, in accordance with a determinationthat only one broadcast application is available, electronic device 600skips causing display of menu 908.

In some embodiments, in accordance with a determination that nobroadcast applications are available on electronic device 600,electronic device 600 causes display of menu 916 of FIG. 9C, whichincludes prompt 918 for the user the download/install a broadcastapplication. In some embodiments, the a displayed menu includes aselectable option to display an app store user interface that is,optionally, linked to the display of a section of the app store that isreserved for applications that are capable of broadcasting the visualoutput of the application. In some embodiments, a displayed menu alsoprovides one or more selectable affordances for purchasing and/ordownloading applications that are capable of broadcasting the visualoutput without displaying the app store user interface.

Menu 916 includes indicator 922 that aids the user in selectingaffordance 924 or 926. In some cases, in response to user inputselecting affordance 924, electronic device causes to be display anapplication store interface displaying one or more broadcastapplications that be downloaded and installed on electronic device 600.In other cases, in response to user input selecting affordance 924,electronic device 600 causes to be displayed one or more links tobroadcast applications that can be downloaded and installed onelectronic device.

In some embodiments, in response to user input selecting affordance 926,electronic device 600 returns display 600B to the initial display, asdepicted in FIG. 9A, except that affordance 906 in menu 900 is removedbased on a determination that no broadcast applications being installed.A user would have to restart the application or install a broadcastapplication independently in order for the affordance to reappear.

In some embodiments, if user input is received selecting affordance 912(corresponding to the BroadAll application) or if only one broadcastapplication is installed, a determination is made as to whetherelectronic device 600 has access to broadcast services through thecorresponding application. In some embodiments, electronic device 600determines whether a user is logged into or needs to log into thebroadcast application or the service associated with the broadcastapplication. If either the application or the service requires the userto login and the user has not logged in yet, menu 928 is displayed toprompt the user to enter their login information for the applicationindicated by instructions 930. Affordance 932 allows for the user toinput a username. Affordance 934 allows for the user to input apassword. Once a username and password are entered, user input selectingaffordance 935 results in the username and password being passed to thebroadcast application for authentication. In some embodiments, thebroadcast application authenticates the login information either locallyor sends it to a remote server for authentication. As opposed to a userinterface of the gaming application, menu 928 could instead be a menu ofthe broadcast application so that the login information is beingdirectly entered into the broadcast application. As another option,instead of menu 928, electronic device 600 could switch to the broadcastapplication to enable the user to enter login information directly intothe broadcast application.

In some embodiments, in response to the login information beingsuccessfully authenticated, or the user already being logged, or a loginnot being necessary, the application task (e.g., a session of a gameapplication) begins. While the application task is executing, the visualoutput of the application task is sent to the broadcast application. Thebroadcast application then sends the visual output to a remote server(e.g., remote server 603 of FIG. 6A) for broadcast. After theapplication task has ended, as depicted in FIG. 9E, menu 926 isdisplayed. Menu 936 includes indicator 942 that aids the user selectingaffordance 938 or 940. Selection of affordance 938 causes electronicdevice 600 to return the user to the start screen for the application,as depicted, for example, in FIG. 9A. Affordance 940 causes electronicdevice 600 to switch to the broadcast application interface.

In some embodiments, pause menu 944 is displayed in response toelectronic device 600 receiving user input requesting the game sessionto be paused. Pause menu includes affordance 946 for resuming the gamesession, affordance 948 for stopping the broadcast of the games session,and affordance 950 for restarting the game session. Indicator 952, whichis not present in some embodiments, is used to aid the user in selectingan affordance.

FIGS. 10A-10B depict a flow diagram illustrating a method for sharingapplication visual output using an electronic device in accordance withsome embodiments. Method 1000 is performed at an electronic device, suchas electronic device 600, that is in communication with a display. Someoperations in method 1000 are, optionally, combined, the order of someoperations is, optionally, changed, and some operations are, optionally,omitted.

As described below, method 1000 provides an intuitive way for sharingapplication visual output. The method reduces the cognitive burden on auser for sharing application visual output, thereby creating a moreefficient human-machine interface. For battery-operated computingdevices, enabling a user to share application visual output faster andmore efficiently conserves power and increases the time between batterycharges.

The first electronic device causes to display (1002) on the display afirst affordance (e.g., 906) (e.g., on the start screen of theapplication) in an application (e.g., a game application) forbroadcasting (e.g., sending for near-live distribution to an audience)visual output of a task (e.g., a game session) of the application.

In response to the first electronic device receiving a first user input(e.g., using a remote control or other input device in communicationwith the first electronic device) corresponding to selection of thefirst affordance (e.g., 906) and in accordance with the first electronicdevice determining that multiple broadcast applications on the firstelectronic device are capable of broadcasting visual output of theapplication while the task is ongoing: [a] the first electronic devicecauses to display (1006) on the display a second affordance (e.g., oneof 910, 912, 914) for selecting a broadcast application of the pluralityof broadcast applications (e.g., Pinch, BroadAll, BScreen) capable ofbroadcasting the visual output of the application; and [b] while thesecond affordance (e.g., one of 910, 912, 914) is displayed on thedisplay, the first electronic device receives (1012) second user inputcorresponding to selection of the second affordance (e.g., one of 910,912, 914). After (e.g., in response to or later in time) the firstelectronic device receives the second user input (e.g., after the userhas selected an application and after potentially selected the type ofgame to start), the first electronic device starts (1014) the task andsends the visual output of the application to the broadcast applicationfor transmitting the visual output over the communication interface(e.g., over communication channel 604C and 604H) to a remote server(e.g., 603) (e.g., the broadcasting server).

In accordance with some embodiments, prior to the first electronicdevice causing the second affordance to be displayed on the display, thefirst electronic device determines (1006) whether multiple broadcastapplications (e.g., Twitch, YouTube, XBox) on the electronic device arecapable of broadcasting (e.g., sending for near-live distribution to anaudience) the visual output of the application.

In accordance with some embodiments, further in response to the firstelectronic device receiving the first user input (e.g., using remotecontrol or other user input device) corresponding to a selection of thefirst affordance (e.g., 904) and in accordance with the first electronicdevice determining that there is only one broadcast application capableof broadcasting the visual output of the application, the firstelectronic device starts (1016) the task and sends the visual output ofthe task to the broadcast application (e.g., the installed broadcastapplication) for transmitting the visual output over the communicationinterface to a remote server (e.g., 603) (e.g., the broadcasting server)without causing display of the second affordance (e.g., any of 910, 921,914).

In accordance with some embodiments, further in response to the firstelectronic device receiving the first user input (e.g., using remotecontrol) corresponding to a selection of the first affordance. Inaccordance with the first electronic device determining that there areno applications capable of broadcasting the visual output of theapplication, the first electronic device prompts (1018) the user toinstall a broadcast application (e.g., FIG. 9C) (e.g., providing aselectable option to display an app store user interface that is,optionally, linked to the display of a section of the app store that isreserved for applications that are capable of broadcasting the visualoutput of the application, or providing one or more selectableaffordances for purchasing and/or downloading applications that arecapable of broadcasting the visual output without displaying the appstore user interface). The above permits a user to control whenapplication visual output is broadcast from within the application thatis generating the visual output. This makes it more efficient and easierfor the user to broadcast content. By integrating the broadcastingcontrols into the application, the user does not need to access orswitch other applications.

In accordance with some embodiments, the application is a gameapplication and the task is a session of the game application.

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic device causesto display on the display a third affordance (e.g., 906) with the firstaffordance (e.g., 904), wherein the third affordance corresponds to arequest to start the task without broadcasting the visual output of theapplication. In response to receiving the user input selecting the thirdaffordance, the first electronic device starts the task without sendingthe visual output of the application (e.g., to a broadcast application)for broadcasting.

In accordance with some embodiments, in accordance with the firstelectronic device determining that there are no applications capable ofbroadcasting the visual output of the application, the first electronicdevice forgoes the display of the first affordance (e.g., 906).

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic devicereceives a third user input (e.g., user input selecting affordance 948via menu 944) indicating that sending the visual output of theapplication to the broadcast application should be ceased (e.g.,selecting an affordance on a pause screen to stop broadcasting). Inresponse to the first electronic device receiving the third user input,the first electronic device ceases to send the visual output of the taskto the broadcast application.

In accordance with some embodiments, the electronic device sends thevisual output of the application to the broadcast application occurswhile the task is executing on the electronic device (e.g., a livestream of the visual output of the video game is being sent to thebroadcast application, which is then broadcasting the content forviewing by remote users).

In accordance with some embodiments, the visual output of theapplication is a video recording of the application output (e.g., theoutput of the video game of FIGS. 9A-9F).

In accordance with some embodiments, the first electronic devicetransmits, via the broadcast application, the visual output over thecommunication interface to the remote server (e.g., 603) (e.g., forretransmission to remote users who are watching the live stream of thevideo game). By using the broadcast application, the design of theapplication producing the visual output can be simplified becauseinstead of the application having to integrate broadcast functionality,the application need only pass on its visual out to the a differentapplication.

In accordance with some embodiments, in response to the first electronicdevice receiving the second user input the first electronic devicedetermines whether a user is logged into the broadcast application. Inaccordance with the first electronic device determining that the user islogged into the broadcast application, the first electronic devicestarts the task and sending the visual output of the application to thebroadcast application. In accordance with the first electronic devicedetermining that the user is not logged into the broadcast application,the first electronic device causes to display, on the display, a loginwindow (e.g., 928) of the broadcast application.

In accordance with some embodiment, the login window (e.g., 928) isgenerated by the broadcast application user interface and isconcurrently displayed with at least a portion of the application userinterface (e.g., so that the application does not get access to thelogin credentials of the broadcast application).

In accordance with some embodiments, the first affordance (e.g., 904) isassociated with the application user interface and wherein the secondaffordance (e.g., 910, 921, or 914) for selecting the broadcastapplication is associated with a system user interface.

In accordance with some embodiments, FIG. 11 shows an exemplaryfunctional block diagram of an electronic device 1100 configured inaccordance with the principles of the various described embodiments. Inaccordance with some embodiments, the functional blocks of electronicdevice 1100 are configured to perform the techniques described above.The functional blocks of the device 1100 are, optionally, implemented byhardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software to carryout the principles of the various described examples. It is understoodby persons of skill in the art that the functional blocks described inFIG. 11 are, optionally, combined or separated into sub-blocks toimplement the principles of the various described examples. Therefore,the description herein optionally supports any possible combination orseparation or further definition of the functional blocks describedherein.

As shown in FIG. 11, an electronic device 1100 is in communication witha display unit 1102 configured to display a graphic user interface and atouch-sensitive surface unit 1104 configured to receive contacts andincludes a processing unit 1106. In some embodiments, the processingunit 806 includes a display causing unit 1110, a receiving unit 1112, astarting unit 1114, and a sending unit 1116, and, optionally, adetermining unit 1118, a transmitting unit 1120 and a prompting unit1122.

The processing unit 1106 is configured to: cause to display (e.g. withdisplay causing unit 1110) on the display a first affordance in anapplication for broadcasting visual output of a task of the application;in response to receiving a first user input corresponding to selectionof the first affordance and in accordance with a determination thatmultiple broadcast applications on the electronic device are capable ofbroadcasting visual output of the application while the task is ongoing:cause to display (e.g. with display causing unit 1110) on the display asecond affordance for selecting a broadcast application of the pluralityof broadcast applications capable of broadcasting the visual output ofthe application; and while the second affordance is displayed on thedisplay, receive (e.g., with receiving unit 1112) second user inputcorresponding to selection of the second affordance; and after receivingthe second user input, start (e.g., with starting unit 1114) the taskand send (e.g., with sending unit 1116) the visual output of theapplication to the broadcast application for transmitting the visualoutput over the communication interface to a remote server.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1106 is further configured to,prior to causing the second affordance to be displayed on the display,determine (e.g., with determining unit 1118) whether multiple broadcastapplications on the electronic device are capable of broadcasting thevisual output of the application.

In some embodiments, the application is a game application and the taskis a session of the game application.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1106 is further configured to:cause to display (e.g. with display causing unit 1110) on the display athird affordance with the first affordance, wherein the third affordancecorresponds to a request to start the task without broadcasting thevisual output of the application; and in response to receiving the userinput selecting the third affordance, start (e.g., with starting unit1114) the task without sending the visual output of the application forbroadcasting.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1106 is further configured to,further in response to receiving the first user input corresponding to aselection of the first affordance and in accordance with a determinationthat there is only one broadcast application capable of broadcasting thevisual output of the application, start (e.g., with starting unit 1114)the task and send (e.g., with sending unit 1116) the visual output ofthe task to the broadcast application for transmitting the visual outputover the communication interface to a remote server without causingdisplay of the second affordance.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1106 is further configured to,further in response to receiving the first user input corresponding to aselection of the first affordance and in accordance with a determinationthat there are no applications capable of broadcasting the visual outputof the application, prompt (e.g., with prompting unit 1122) the user toinstall a broadcast application.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1106 is further configured toin accordance with a determination that there are no applicationscapable of broadcasting the visual output of the application, forgo thecausing of display (e.g., with display causing unit 1110) of the firstaffordance.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1106 is further configured toreceive (e.g., with receiving unit 1112) a third user input indicatingthat send (e.g., with sending unit 1116) the visual output of theapplication to the broadcast application should be ceased; and inresponse to receiving the third user input, ceasing to send the visualoutput of the task to the broadcast application.

In some embodiments, sending the visual output of the application to thebroadcast application occurs while the task is executing.

In some embodiments, the visual output of the application is a videorecording of the application output.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1106 is further configured to,transmit (e.g., with transmitting unit 1120), by the broadcastapplication, the visual output over the communication interface to theremote server.

In some embodiments, the processing unit 1106 is further configured to,in response to receiving the second user input, determine (e.g., usingdetermining unit 118) whether a user is logged into the broadcastapplication; in accordance with a determination that the user is loggedinto the broadcast application, start (e.g., with starting unit 1114)the task and send (e.g., with sending unit 1116) the visual output ofthe application to the broadcast application; and in accordance with adetermination that the user is not logged into the broadcastapplication, cause to display (e.g. with display causing unit 1110), onthe display, a login window of the broadcast application.

In some embodiments, the login window is generated by the broadcastapplication user interface and is concurrently displayed with at least aportion of the application user interface.

In some embodiments, the first affordance is associated with theapplication user interface and wherein the second affordance forselecting the broadcast application is associated with a system userinterface.

The foregoing description, for purpose of explanation, has beendescribed with reference to specific embodiments. However, theillustrative discussions above are not intended to be exhaustive or tolimit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many modificationsand variations are possible in view of the above teachings. Theembodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the techniques and their practical applications. Othersskilled in the art are thereby enabled to best utilize the techniquesand various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

Although the disclosure and examples have been fully described withreference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be noted that variouschanges and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in theart. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as beingincluded within the scope of the disclosure and examples as defined bythe claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An electronic device, comprising: a display; oneor more processors; one or more input devices; a memory; a communicationinterface, wherein the electronic device is in communication with thedisplay, and one or more programs, wherein the one or more programs arestored in memory and configured to be executed by the one or moreprocessors, the one or more programs including instructions for: causingto display on the display a first affordance, wherein the firstaffordance is for broadcasting visual output of a task of theapplication; in response to receiving a first user input correspondingto selection of the first affordance: in accordance with a determinationthat multiple broadcast applications on the electronic device arecapable of broadcasting visual output of the application while the taskis ongoing: causing to display on the display a second affordance forselecting a broadcast application of the plurality of broadcastapplications capable of broadcasting the visual output of theapplication; and while the second affordance is displayed on thedisplay, receiving second user input corresponding to selection of thesecond affordance; after receiving the second user input, starting thetask and sending the visual output of the application to the broadcastapplication for transmitting the visual output over the communicationinterface to a remote server.
 2. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for: priorto causing the second affordance to be displayed on the display,determining whether multiple broadcast applications on the electronicdevice are capable of broadcasting the visual output of the application.3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the application is a gameapplication and the task is a session of the game application.
 4. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs furtherinclude instructions for: causing to display on the display a thirdaffordance with the first affordance, wherein the third affordancecorresponds to a request to start the task without broadcasting thevisual output of the application; and in response to receiving the userinput selecting the third affordance, starting the task without sendingthe visual output of the application for broadcasting.
 5. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs further includeinstructions for: further in response to receiving the first user inputcorresponding to a selection of the first affordance: in accordance witha determination that there is only one broadcast application capable ofbroadcasting the visual output of the application, starting the task andsending the visual output of the task to the broadcast application fortransmitting the visual output over the communication interface to aremote server without causing display of the second affordance.
 6. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs furtherinclude instructions for: further in response to receiving the firstuser input corresponding to a selection of the first affordance: inaccordance with a determination that there are no applications capableof broadcasting the visual output of the application, prompting the userto install a broadcast application.
 7. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for: inaccordance with a determination that there are no applications capableof broadcasting the visual output of the application, forgoing thedisplay of the first affordance.
 8. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the one or more programs further include instructions for:receiving a third user input indicating that sending the visual outputof the application to the broadcast application should be ceased; inresponse to receiving the third user input, ceasing to send the visualoutput of the task to the broadcast application.
 9. The electronicdevice of claim 1, wherein sending the visual output of the applicationto the broadcast application occurs while the task is executing.
 10. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the visual output of theapplication is a video recording of the application output.
 11. Theelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programs furtherinclude instructions for: transmitting, by the broadcast application,the visual output over the communication interface to the remote server.12. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the one or more programsfurther include instructions for: in response to receiving the seconduser input: determining whether a user is logged into the broadcastapplication; in accordance with a determination that the user is loggedinto the broadcast application, starting the task and sending the visualoutput of the application to the broadcast application; and inaccordance with a determination that the user is not logged into thebroadcast application, causing to display, on the display, a loginwindow of the broadcast application.
 13. The electronic device of claim1, wherein the login window is generated by the broadcast applicationuser interface and is concurrently displayed with at least a portion ofthe application user interface.
 14. The electronic device of claim 1,wherein the first affordance is associated with the application userinterface and wherein the second affordance for selecting the broadcastapplication is associated with a system user interface.
 15. Anon-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or moreprograms, the one or more programs comprising instructions, which whenexecuted by one or more processors of an electronic device with adisplay and one or more input devices, cause the device to: cause todisplay on the display a first affordance, wherein the first affordanceis for broadcasting visual output of a task of the application; inresponse to receiving a first user input corresponding to selection ofthe first affordance: in accordance with a determination that multiplebroadcast applications on the electronic device are capable ofbroadcasting visual output of the application while the task is ongoing:cause to display on the display a second affordance for selecting abroadcast application of the plurality of broadcast applications capableof broadcasting the visual output of the application; and while thesecond affordance is displayed on the display, receive second user inputcorresponding to selection of the second affordance; after receiving thesecond user input, start the task and sending the visual output of theapplication to the broadcast application for transmitting the visualoutput over the communication interface to a remote server.
 16. A methodcomprising: at a first electronic device with one or more processors, acommunication interface, and memory, wherein the first electronic deviceis in communication with a display: causing to display on the display afirst affordance, wherein the first affordance is for broadcastingvisual output of a task of the application; in response to receiving afirst user input corresponding to selection of the first affordance: inaccordance with a determination that multiple broadcast applications onthe electronic device are capable of broadcasting visual output of theapplication while the task is ongoing: causing to display on the displaya second affordance for selecting a broadcast application of theplurality of broadcast applications capable of broadcasting the visualoutput of the application; and while the second affordance is displayedon the display, receiving second user input corresponding to selectionof the second affordance; after receiving the second user input,starting the task and sending the visual output of the application tothe broadcast application for transmitting the visual output over thecommunication interface to a remote server.